Fact vs Opinion

A critical reader can tell the difference between what is proven (fact) and what someone believes or thinks (opinion). This is one of the most important reading skills.

Fact

A statement that can be proven true or false using evidence.

✓ "Australia is a continent and a country."

✓ "Water boils at 100 degrees Celsius."

✓ "The Great Wall of China is over 20,000 km long."

Opinion

A statement that expresses a belief, feeling, or judgement. Cannot be proven.

● "Australia is the best country in the world."

● "Science is more interesting than maths."

● "The Great Wall of China is the most impressive building ever."

Spotting Opinions in Disguise

Look out for opinion signal words: best, worst, should, beautiful, boring, amazing, terrible, I think, I believe, in my opinion, everyone knows, obviously. These are clues that a statement is an opinion, not a fact.

Bias and Perspective

Bias means presenting information in a way that favours one side over another. Every author has a perspective (point of view) shaped by their experiences, beliefs, and purpose for writing.

Example: Two Perspectives on the Same Event

NEWSPAPER A (supports the new road)

"The exciting new highway will bring much-needed jobs and growth to our region, connecting communities like never before."

NEWSPAPER B (opposes the new road)

"The destructive new highway will tear through precious bushland, destroying wildlife habitats and ruining the character of our quiet neighbourhood."

Same event, different word choices: "exciting" vs "destructive", "connecting communities" vs "ruining the character". The word choices reveal each newspaper's bias.

Questions to Detect Bias

• Who wrote this? What might their motive be?
• Are both sides of the argument presented fairly?
• What emotive or loaded language is being used?
• What information might be missing or left out?

Evaluating Sources

Not all sources of information are equally reliable. A critical reader checks the quality and trustworthiness of what they read.

More Reliable

✓ Written by an expert or specialist
✓ Published by a reputable organisation
✓ Includes evidence and references
✓ Recent and up to date
✓ Presents multiple viewpoints

Less Reliable

✗ Anonymous author or unknown website
✗ No evidence to support claims
✗ Uses lots of emotional language
✗ Only shows one side of the story
✗ Outdated information

Evidence-Based Reasoning

Strong critical readers always back up their thinking with evidence. A powerful question to ask yourself is: "What makes me say that?" This pushes you to find proof in the text rather than guessing.

The "What Makes You Say That?" Framework

1

Make a claim

"I think the author wants us to feel sympathy for the main character."

2

Provide evidence

"The author describes the character as 'a small, lonely figure standing in the rain' and tells us that 'nobody noticed her'."

3

Explain your reasoning

"These words make the character seem vulnerable and isolated, which makes the reader feel sorry for her."

This approach (Claim + Evidence + Reasoning) is used by critical thinkers everywhere. Whenever you answer a reading question, include a quote from the text and explain what it shows.

Key Vocabulary

Fact

A statement that can be proven true or false with evidence.

Opinion

A personal belief, feeling, or judgement that cannot be proven.

Bias

A one-sided or unfair presentation of information that favours a particular viewpoint.

Perspective

The point of view from which something is written or observed.

Evidence

Information, facts, or quotes that support a claim or argument.

Critical Reading

Reading that involves questioning, analysing, and evaluating a text rather than simply accepting it.

Knowledge Check

Read the passage, then answer the questions below.

Passage

"Everyone knows that screen time is terrible for children. A recent survey found that 60% of children aged 8-12 spend more than three hours per day on screens. This alarming trend is destroying our children's ability to concentrate and making them lazy. Schools should immediately ban all tablets and phones. If we don't act now, an entire generation will be lost to mindless scrolling."

Question 1

Which of the following from the passage is a fact?

"Screen time is terrible for children." "60% of children aged 8-12 spend more than three hours per day on screens." "This alarming trend is destroying our children's ability to concentrate." "An entire generation will be lost to mindless scrolling."

Question 2

The phrase "Everyone knows" at the start of the passage is an example of:

A proven fact Evidence from a scientific study A technique to make an opinion seem like a fact A balanced viewpoint

Question 3

Is this passage biased? What evidence supports your answer?

No, it presents both sides fairly. Yes, it is biased in favour of screen time. No, it includes a survey which makes it balanced. Yes, it only presents the negative view of screen time using emotive language like "destroying" and "alarming".

Question 4

Which source would be most reliable for researching the effects of screen time on children?

A peer-reviewed study by university researchers A comment on social media A blog post by an anonymous parent An advertisement for a screen-time app

Question 5

Using the "What makes you say that?" framework, which response best supports the claim: "The author wants the reader to feel alarmed"?

"Because I feel alarmed when I read it." "The author uses words like 'destroying', 'alarming', and 'an entire generation will be lost', which are designed to create fear and urgency in the reader." "Because screen time is bad." "Because the author uses lots of words."

Critical Reading

Fact vs Opinion

Fact

Opinion

Spotting Opinions in Disguise

Bias and Perspective

Example: Two Perspectives on the Same Event

Questions to Detect Bias

Evaluating Sources

More Reliable

Less Reliable

Evidence-Based Reasoning

The "What Makes You Say That?" Framework

Key Vocabulary

Knowledge Check

Key Concepts Summary