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A fact is something that can be proven true or false. A fact is not based on people’s beliefs. An opinion on the other hand is a belief, feeling or judgement, and can vary from one person to another. An opinion cannot be proven.
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Identify which of the following statements are facts and which are opinions. Share your answers with your classmates and teacher.
Question 5
- But speaking on the telephone only gives us an immediate but fleeting joy.
- I started my working life soon after our country became independent.
- To be quite honest, service to our nation’s farmers was not the career I had envisioned for myself.
- I knew I could make a more meaningful contribution by working here in Anand, Gujarat.
- … values that I saw in my mentor and supporter here in Anand—Tribhuvandas Patel.
- Life is a privilege, and to waste it would be wrong.
- I hope that you, too, will discover, as I did, that failure is not about not succeeding.
- … the magnificent ceremony in which the President awarded me the Padma Vibhushan in 1999?
How to answer:
Ask: can the statement be checked as a biographical/event claim, or is it a judgement/value statement?
View Answer
| Statement | Fact / Opinion | Reason |
|---|---|---|
| 1. But speaking on the telephone only gives us an immediate but fleeting joy. | Opinion | “Fleeting joy” is Kurien’s judgement about the experience of a phone call. |
| 2. I started my working life soon after our country became independent. | Fact | It states a biographical event in Kurien’s working life. |
| 3. To be quite honest, service to our nation’s farmers was not the career I had envisioned for myself. | Fact | It states Kurien’s own earlier career intention. |
| 4. I knew I could make a more meaningful contribution by working here in Anand, Gujarat. | Opinion | “More meaningful” is Kurien’s personal judgement about the value of the choice. |
| 5. … values that I saw in my mentor and supporter here in Anand—Tribhuvandas Patel. | Fact | The statement identifies the mentor and supporter Kurien says influenced him. |
| 6. Life is a privilege, and to waste it would be wrong. | Opinion | This is a value judgement about how life should be used. |
| 7. I hope that you, too, will discover, as I did, that failure is not about not succeeding. | Opinion | Kurien is offering his own definition of failure. |
| 8. … the magnificent ceremony in which the President awarded me the Padma Vibhushan in 1999? | Fact | The statement refers to a specific dated award event. |
