Fact and Opinion Persuasive Writing

Two Components used in Persuasion The opinion statement. The factual statement. Both of these statements are used routinely by authors in persuasion.

Fact and Opinion A fact is something that actually exists, something that has actually occurred, or something known by observation or experience to be true or real. An opinion is a conclusion or judgment held with confidence, but falling short of positive knowledge.

Practice with F & O 1. There is less of a reliance on rail transportation for people today than there was one hundred years ago. (Fact) A required two-year enlistment in the armed forces should be a part of every young person’s life. (Opinion) There are few frontiers left for modern humans to conquer. The switching from standard time to daylight-savings time annually accounts for huge energy savings. The opening of the Panama Canal greatly facilitated the shipping of goods from one North American coast to the other.

Opinions The word “should” is almost always a cue word. Not all opinion statements contain the word “should” however.

In Persuasive Writing: An opinion is stated first Then this opinion is supported by facts, examples, or statistics REMEMBER: opinion first, fact second