First and foremost, they must determine the quality of the information, or evidence, within a text. Readers must also think about the author's intent. The same questions used to evaluate accuracy and intent can help readers distinguish between facts and opinions. In addition, the following rules of thumb can also help them. Facts usually can be proven.
Facts refer to events that actually happened in the past, or events that are happening now.
Facts often include numbers, measurements, or other elements that can be checked for accuracy. There are also some rules of thumb for identifying opinions. Opinions often refer to events that might happen in the future. Opinions often include information that cannot be checked and leads people to disagree. Opinions often include qualifying words such as might , maybe , could .