Fact and Opinion
**Directions:** Read each statement and then circle whether it is a fact or opinion. Explain your answer.
1. The fastest land-dwelling creature is the cheetah.
- Fact or Opinion: Explain
2. The ugliest sea creature is the manatee.
- Fact or Opinion: Explain
3. Prison is one of the worst places on the planet.
- Fact or Opinion: Explain
4. Oranges contain both calcium and vitamin C.
- Fact or Opinion: Explain
Answer (3)
Fact, scientific experimentation has proven that the cheetah is the fastest land dwelling creature.
Opinion, because the manatee is not proven to the ugliest sea creature and some people may like them.
Opinion, because not all people hate prison it may be bad but not to all people.
Fact, scientific experimentation has proven that oranges contain both calcium and vitamin c.
1-The fastest land dwelling creature is the Cheetah.
**Fact. **This is fact because it can be verified.
2-the ugliest sea creature is the manatee.
**Opinion. ** Because opinions vary and beauty (or ugliness) is relative, perspectives on what is considered “ugly” will vary.
3-prison is one of the worst places on the planet.
**Opinion. **This is a relative thought. To some, prison might be considered a good place. In fact, there are instances where convicts cannot function in society after a long prison term and commit crimes to be returned to prison because society has become a bad place—a place where hardships outweigh those they faced in prison.
4-Oranges contain both calcium and vitamin C.
**Fact. ** This is something that can be tested and verified as true.
NOTE: When trying to determine whether something is a fact or an opinion, just be sure to keep in mind that if the statement can be proven, it is fact; if the statement cannot be proven, it must be an opinion.
The cheetah is the fastest land-dwelling creature, which is a fact. The statements about manatees and prisons reflect personal opinions, and oranges are also a fact regarding their nutritional content. Thus, the distinction between fact and opinion is important in understanding these statements.
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