Opinion and Truth

What is an opinion?
An opinion refers to a personal belief.

It relates to how someone feels about something. Others may agree or disagree with an opinion, but they
cannot prove or disprove it. This is what defines it as opinion.
An opinion, is a statement that holds an element of belief; it tells how someone feels.
An opinion is not always true and cannot be proven.
EXAMPLES of Opinion
1. Dog fur is pretty.
2. Manila is the best city to live in.
3. China is to be blamed for the Covid19 pandemic.
4. Bituin Escalante Diva is the best Philippine singer for 2019.
5. Pres. Duterte is the most loved president by the Filipinos
What is truth?
A truth generally refers to something that is true and can be
verified as such. That is, a truth is something that can be proven to be true.
Truth is a statement that is right or correct and can be verified objectively or
proven. In other words, truth means what is right and correct no matter what.
EXAMPLES of Truth
1. Dogs have fur.
2. Covid19 is a pandemic.
3. Communities affected by Covid19 are placed on lockdown.
4. ABS-CBN is under investigation due to unresolved issues about franchise.
5. A student has to graduate Senior High School to be able to enroll in college.
Comparison Chart
Basis Truth/fact Opinion

Meaning Refers to something that can be Refers to a judgement on belief about
verified or proved to be true. something
What is it? Observation or research Assumption or personal view
Verification possible Not possible
Represents Something really happened A perception about something
Change Universal Differs from person to person
Words Unbiased biased
Debatable No Yes
Influence Has the power to influence Does not have the power to influence
others others
According to Dr. Rhonda Dubec (2019) there are:

KEY DIFFERENCES BETWEEN TRUTH /FACT AND OPINION
1. The truth is described as the statement that can be verified or proved to be true. Opinion is an
expression of judgment or belief about something.
2. Truth/ Fact relies on observation or research while opinion is based on assumption.
3. The truth is an objective reality whereas opinion is a subjective statement.
4. Truth can be verified with the help of evidence or statistics, on the contrary opinion is not supported
by any evidence.
5. Truth explains what actually happened. Unlike an opinion, that represents a perception about
something.
6. One important feature of truth is that it is universal and does not differ from person to person. As
against this, every human being has a different opinion on a particular subject and so, it varies from
one person to another.
7. Truths are shown with unbiased words, however, opinions are expressed with biased words.
8. Truth can change anybody’s opinion, but vice versa is not possible.
9. Truths are real information so it cannot be challenged or debated, but if we talk about opinions, they
can be debated.
Why Are Truth and Opinion So Important?

The ability to distinguish between truth and opinion helps anyone develops his/her critical and analytical skills
in both their reading and their listening. Truth and opinion are often woven together in texts and speeches. It
is therefore imperative that everybody is able to explain the threads of what is true from what is mere belief if
they are to successfully navigate the deluge of media they will encounter in their lifetimes.
Whether on the news, in advertising, or a history book, distinguishing between what is truth and what is
opinion is crucial to becoming an autonomous person with the critical abilities necessary to avoid being
manipulated easily.
The Language of Truth and Opinion: Signal Words and Phrases
Often writers will liven up their truths with a sprinkling of opinion. Unfortunately, it can at times be difficult to
extract the verifiable truths from the author’s preferences and biases. Luckily the language used itself often
throws up helpful clues in the forms of words and phrases that assist us in identifying statements as truth-
based or opinion-based.
Let’s now take a look at some examples of those signal words and phrases being used in the sentence
fragments that often precede a statement of fact or opinion. As we can see from the examples, the language
used in a statement can be helpful in indicating whether it is being framed as truth or an opinion.
It is important for students to understand too, that, things are not always as they appear to be. At times,
writers, whether consciously or not, will frame opinion as truth and vice versa. Therefore, it is important that
students develop a clear understanding of what constitutes truth and opinion and are afforded ample
opportunities to practice distinguishing between the two.
Fact
 The annual report confirms…

Example: The annual Truth/ report confirms that the Philippine Stock Exchange index is already down
by almost 41%
 Scientists have recently discovered
Example: In 2018, Scientists have discovered a cave art in Borneo that’s between 40,000 and 52,000
years old, further pushing back the origins of figurative painting
 According to the results of the tests…
Example: According to the test results (39.68%) successfully passed the Licensure Examination for
Teachers (L.E.T.) Sep 29, 2019.
 The investigation demonstrated…
Example: The investigation demonstrated who the real culprit in the murder case of an old woman
Opinion
● He claimed that…
Example: He claimed that he was the most handsome man in his hometown.
● It is the officer’s view that…
Example: It is the officer’s view that his men are all honest.
● The report argues that…

Example: The report argues that some beneficiaries of the 4P’s recipients received monetary assistance
twice.
● Many scientists suspect that

Example: Many scientists suspect that the Corona Virus had originated from bat.

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What is an opinion?

An opinion refers to a personal belief.

Basis Truth/fact Opinion

According to Dr. Rhonda Dubec (2019) there are:

Why Are Truth and Opinion So Important?

The Language of Truth and Opinion: Signal Words and Phrases

 The annual report confirms…

● The report argues that…

● Many scientists suspect that

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