Fact vs. Opinion

Read these sentences. Try to guess which sentences are facts and which sentences are opinions.

Fredericton is in York County.
John Diefenbaker was one of Canada‘s best prime ministers.
Woodstock received twenty millimetres of rain on July 3, 2001.
Bell-bottom jeans are better than straight-leg jeans.

Some of these statements are facts and some are opinions.

What are facts and opinions?

Facts are true statements which are provable. Facts are provable when the original source of the information can be found, and the source of the information is reliable. The statement “Woodstock received ten millimetres of rain on July 3, 2001” is a fact. You could check a newspaper from July 4, 2001 or you could contact your local weather service for the information. Both sources should be reliable. Sometimes it is a good idea to get information from several sources to see if they agree on the facts.

Opinions can prove useful; however, they are not provable. Opinions are based on personal values and beliefs. Most people would agree with the statement “Bell-bottom jeans are better than straight leg jeans.” Nevertheless, it is only an opinion because it is simply preference.