Is it a fact, or is it an opinion?
Does it matter?
Yes.
Both are important.
But knowing how to distinguish between fact and opinion
can help us to better understand
what we read and hear,
and how we form our opinions.
Let's take a look.
A fact is a statement that can be proven to be true.
Facts are objetive,
which means they are not influenced
by what someone thinks or believes.
A fact is indisputable
and cannot be changed.
There are some key questions to identify facts.
1) Can it be measured or confirmed with calculations or data?
For example,
two plus two equals four.
We can add the numbers and demostrate
that this stament is true.
2) Can it be observed? Can we see it happen?
For, instance,
99% of people cannot lick ther elbow.
This is true.
This is a fact that can be observed.
Research has determined that one over a hundred people
can successfully complete this task.
3) Can it be verified by primary sources,
such as research, photographs, newspapers,
and other facts?
Here is an example,
Nintendo was started in 1889.
This is a fact because it can be verifed
by many sources.
A man named Fusajiro Yamauchi, from Japan
founded Nintendo as a playing card company in 1889,
and now is one of the largest gaming companies in the world.
Now, let's move on to opinion,
which sometimes can be a little trickier.