Fact and Opinion — Answer Key
Part A: Fill in the Blank
Write the missing word or number on each line.
1. 'Everyone loves pizza' sounds like a fact, but it is an opinion because tastes differ.
A claim about everyone's feelings cannot be proven, so it remains an opinion.
2. 'The Nile is 6,650 kilometers long' is a fact that geographers can verify.
Measurable lengths are facts because surveyors and atlases can confirm them.
3. 'Pluto is the saddest planet' includes a feeling word, so it is an opinion.
Adding emotion words turns a statement about a fact into a personal viewpoint.
4. 'Most people prefer chocolate ice cream' may need a survey as evidence.
Without survey evidence, a claim about most people stays in the opinion category.
5. A statement can be numerically true and still feel weighted, like 'only ten students passed,' where 'only' adds a viewpoint.
Even with true numbers, tone words like 'only' add a perspective beyond the evidence.
6. 'Mount Everest is 8,849 meters high' is a fact because the height was measured by an expert.
Experts use tools and reliable methods to record measurable facts.
7. 'School should start later' uses 'should,' so it shares a perspective.
Words like 'should' express what a writer wants, which is a perspective.
8. When a statement mixes evidence with feelings, the reader must look closely at each word.
Careful readers separate evidence words from emotion words to judge the claim.
9. The safest way to test a tricky claim is to ask, 'Can I find evidence?'
If evidence supports the claim, it is a fact; if not, it stays an opinion.
Part B: Matching
Match each item on the left to the correct answer on the right.
1. Match each item to its correct answer.
Everyone loves summer vacation.
→ Opinion using 'everyone' to claim a feeling
Opinion using 'everyone' to claim a feeling
Summer break lasts about ten weeks in many districts.
→ Fact that can be checked on a school calendar
Fact that can be checked on a school calendar
The new school is the friendliest building in town.
→ Opinion using a feeling word like 'friendliest'
Opinion using a feeling word like 'friendliest'
The new school opened in September 2024.
→ Fact with a verifiable opening date
Fact with a verifiable opening date
Feelings and 'everyone' claims are opinions; calendars and dates are facts that can be verified.