Facts? Assertions? Opinions? Can You Identify Them?

In this day and age, information is easily accessible through the internet. With just a few clicks on your gadgets, you can access various sites or applications that will take you to the information you need. You can access different information, such as the latest news about technology or the Moon and The Earth's distance. All you need to do is type your questions into the search engine.

Not only can you find information through the internet, but you can also share your knowledge or experiences with other people. There are many ways people can share their expertise or stories, for example, a video, a blog, or a picture. And with the help of social media, sharing has become simple. It is a platform where we can be creative and create content to share our own stories.

The internet is a massive platform where you can find almost anything but is everything on the internet true? How do we identify facts from assertions or opinions?

A fact is something that is proven to be correct or true. It is something that can be checked and verified and confirmed to be true.

An assertion is a statement that is held to be true but not actually a fact because it is not, or cannot be, proven to be true.

An opinion is weaker than an assertion. It is a statement of something that is believed to be correct, but it is subjective and depends on the person's point of view, making the judgment. As you know, everyone has different opinions on things; the same people can even change their views on time.

Can you identify whether it is a fact, opinion, or assertion?

1. Do you think this is a fact, an opinion, or an assertion?

Image by: Scribbling Islette

2. How about this one?

Image by: Animal Planet India

3. Is this a fact, an opinion, or an assertion

Image by: SimpleCom

Answer

Number 1 is an assertion. There is no clear proof that ladies prefer Antwerpen Toyota. The advertisements only assume that the ladies will like Antwerpen Toyota because they offer free manicures and cappuccinos, which is not entirely true because maybe not all women like manicures or cappuccinos.

Number 2 is a fact. You can easily find information on the internet to support the statement. Guinea pigs are social animals, so it needs interaction with their own kind and in Switzerland, it is considered animal cruelty to keep only one guinea pig.

Number 3 is an opinion. There is no proof that pancakes are better than waffles as people have different tastes and prefer different things.

In conclusion, we should always be critical at any information we receive and we should always check the credibility of any information we see whether if it’s news, blogs, or even social media posts.

Source

Business Communication 1. (2017).

Ward, Luke. (n.d). 200 Fun Facts That’ll Actually Make Your Life Better. Retrieved from https://www.thefactsite.com/top-100-random-funny-facts/.

Scribbling Islette. (n.d). Visual-Verbal Rhetoric. Retrieved from https://scribblingislette.weebly.com/advertising-consumer-cultures-and-desire.html.

Animal Planet India. (2016, 18 April).Retrieved from https://twitter.com/animalplanetin/status/722032753571708928?lang=nl.