Year 6 English: Distinguishing fact from opinion
Part of the Year 6 English reading poetry and non-fiction, and comparing texts chapter. Chapter overview · whole chapter on one page
Distinguishing fact from opinion
A fact can be checked and shown to be true. An opinion is a view or a feeling, which may not be shared by everyone. Words such as should, best, important and in my view often show an opinion.
Why Bees Deserve Our Care (a persuasive article)
1Bees are the most important insects in the world, and everyone should take care of them.
2Some people think bees only make honey, but bees pollinate many crops, which means they help plants to produce fruit and seeds.
3In my view, every school should plant flowers, because a garden full of nectar gives bees a place to feed.
4Some would argue that gardens are only for pleasure. However, a pleasant garden is also a home for bees, and that makes it worth the effort.
Key ideas
- A fact can be checked.
- An opinion shows a view, a feeling, or what should happen.
- Look for words such as should, best, important and in my view.
Method. Ask whether it can be checked.
- Test the sentence. Bees pollinate crops, which can be checked.can be checked
- Decide. A statement that can be checked is a fact.fact
- Write the answer. fact
Check. The sentence is a fact. ✓
Method. Look for a judgement word, such as most important.
- Look for the judgement. Most important is a judgement, not something that can be checked.most important
- Decide. A judgement is an opinion.opinion
- Write the answer. opinion
Check. The sentence is an opinion. ✓
Method. Look for the words that show a view.
- Look for the words. In my view shows that the writer is giving a view.In my view
- Name the words. These words signal an opinion.In my view
- Write the answer. In my view
Check. In my view is an opinion signal. ✓
Watch out
Watch out: a fact can be in an opinion text, and an opinion can be in a fact text. Decide each sentence on its own.
Exam tip
Grown-up tip. Ask your child to find one sentence in a newspaper that is a fact, and one that is an opinion. Ask them to say how they know.
Exercise 11D Practice: fact or opinion
Method. Ask whether the sentence can be proved true, or whether it shows a feeling or a view.
- Test the sentence. A fact can be checked; an opinion shows a view or a feeling.Honey begins as nectar, a sweet liquid that flowers produce.
- Decide. The statement can be checked against the text or a science book.fact
- Write the answer. fact
Check. The sentence is a fact. ✓
Watch out. Words such as should, best, important and in my view often show an opinion.
Method. Ask whether the sentence can be proved true, or whether it shows a feeling or a view.
- Test the sentence. A fact can be checked; an opinion shows a view or a feeling.Bees pollinate many crops.
- Decide. Pollinating crops is a statement that can be checked.fact
- Write the answer. fact
Check. The sentence is a fact. ✓
Watch out. Words such as should, best, important and in my view often show an opinion.
Method. Ask whether the sentence can be proved true, or whether it shows a feeling or a view.
- Test the sentence. A fact can be checked; an opinion shows a view or a feeling.Bees are the most important insects in the world.
- Decide. Most important is a judgement, so it is an opinion.opinion
- Write the answer. opinion
Check. The sentence is a opinion. ✓
Watch out. Words such as should, best, important and in my view often show an opinion.
Method. Ask whether the sentence can be proved true, or whether it shows a feeling or a view.
- Test the sentence. A fact can be checked; an opinion shows a view or a feeling.Every school should plant flowers.
- Decide. Should shows what someone thinks ought to happen, so it is an opinion.opinion
- Write the answer. opinion
Check. The sentence is a opinion. ✓
Watch out. Words such as should, best, important and in my view often show an opinion.
Method. Ask whether the sentence can be proved true, or whether it shows a feeling or a view.
- Test the sentence. A fact can be checked; an opinion shows a view or a feeling.The bees fan their wings to dry the honey.
- Decide. The statement describes an action that can be checked in the text.fact
- Write the answer. fact
Check. The sentence is a fact. ✓
Watch out. Words such as should, best, important and in my view often show an opinion.
Method. Ask whether the sentence can be proved true, or whether it shows a feeling or a view.
- Test the sentence. A fact can be checked; an opinion shows a view or a feeling.A pleasant garden is worth the effort.
- Decide. Pleasant and worth the effort are judgements, so the sentence is an opinion.opinion
- Write the answer. opinion
Check. The sentence is a opinion. ✓
Watch out. Words such as should, best, important and in my view often show an opinion.
Method. Make one statement that can be checked, and one that shows a view.
- Write the fact. Bees make honey can be checked.Bees make honey
- Write the opinion. Most beautiful is a view.most beautiful
- Write the answer. Fact: bees make honey. Opinion: bees are the most beautiful insects.
Check. One fact and one opinion are labelled. ✓
Method. Look for a word that shows a view.
- Find the word. Argue shows that someone has a view.argue
- Decide. The writer is giving the view of others.a view
- Write the answer. argue
Check. argue shows a view. ✓
Method. Ask whether the sentence can be proved true, or whether it shows a feeling or a view.
- Test the sentence. A fact can be checked; an opinion shows a view or a feeling.The bees seal each cell with a thin layer of wax.
- Decide. Sealing the cells is an action that can be checked in the text.fact
- Write the answer. fact
Check. The sentence is a fact. ✓
Watch out. Words such as should, best, important and in my view often show an opinion.
Method. Think about whether the statement can be checked.
- Test the statement. Can it be checked?checked
- Name the difference. An opinion shows a view.view
- Write the answer. A fact can be checked, but an opinion shows a view or a feeling.
Check. A fact can be checked, an opinion gives a view. ✓
Method. Ask whether the sentence can be proved true, or whether it shows a feeling or a view.
- Test the sentence. A fact can be checked; an opinion shows a view or a feeling.The text has four paragraphs about bees.
- Decide. The number of paragraphs can be counted.fact
- Write the answer. fact
Check. The sentence is a fact. ✓
Watch out. Words such as should, best, important and in my view often show an opinion.