1. Reading Critically Chapter 8 Fact and Opinion PART 4 The Art of Critical Reading Mather ▪ McCarthy © 2009 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved.

2. The Art of Critical Reading Mather ▪ McCarthy Chapter 8: Fact and Opinion 2 The Art of Critical Reading Mather ▪ McCarthy Introduction to Fact and Opinion In order to be a critical reader, you must be able to tell the difference between fact and opinion even though written material sometimes presents opinions as though they were facts. © 2009 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved.

3. The Art of Critical Reading Mather ▪ McCarthy Chapter 8: Fact and Opinion 3 The Art of Critical Reading Mather ▪ McCarthy A fact is a statement whose truth or falsity can be proved in some objective way. A statement of fact offers neither judgment nor evaluation. Factual statements present information without interpreting it. Statements of fact often rely on concrete and measurable words. © 2009 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved.

4. The Art of Critical Reading Mather ▪ McCarthy Chapter 8: Fact and Opinion 4 The Art of Critical Reading Mather ▪ McCarthy An opinion expresses a personal preference or value judgment. Statements of opinion cannot be proved to be true or false. Statements of future events or probabilities are often opinions no matter how reasonable or likely they seem. Statements of fact can sometimes be false. © 2009 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved.

5. The Art of Critical Reading Mather ▪ McCarthy Chapter 8: Fact and Opinion 5 The Art of Critical Reading Mather ▪ McCarthy Improving Your Performance on Essay Tests Before the test… Try to think of questions that might appear on the test. Look over old tests, instructor’s comments, and any class notes and handouts to see what topics and ideas the teacher most emphasized. Be prepared for an essay question that asks for information on a specific topic or is directed at a more general understanding of the course material. Test-Taking Tip © 2009 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved.

6. The Art of Critical Reading Mather ▪ McCarthy Chapter 8: Fact and Opinion 6 The Art of Critical Reading Mather ▪ McCarthy General or “big picture” essay questions often deal with relationships among topics or concepts, so making an outline or map of the course material is a good way to prepare for these questions. Look at your class notes, any handouts, and your textbook, to organize this material into an outline. If your teacher has closely followed a textbook, the book’s table of contents should give you a good start on making your outline. Once you have come up with a list of possible questions, study by preparing answers to these questions. © 2009 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved.