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view on the information discussed. The following sentences are all statements of
fact:
o American Samoa consists of seven islands in the South Pacific.
o The Treaty of Versailles ended World War I.
Unlike facts, opinions cannot be verified or checked with outside sources. They
are too subjective, too personal to be checked in reference books or historical
records. The following are all statements of opinion.
o The reform of Public Safety System seems far from possible.
o Although John F. Kennedy gets most of the credit, it was Lyndon Johnson who
truly advanced the cause of civil rights.
Examples of opinion clues:
always/never best/worst for/against oppose/support
definitely good/bad inferior/superior worthwhile
Activity 1
Mark each statement: F for fact or O for opinion.
1. ( F ) The first printed Christmas cards were produced in London in
1843.
2. ( ) All this uproar about animal rights is definitely nonsense.
Animals don’t have rights.
3. ( ) Rich people are always more intelligent than poor people.
4. ( ) Many people are against the war but unfortunately they were
killed in war.
5. ( ) Children should never be seen and not heard.
6. ( ) The President of the United States is elected for four years.
An example of Compare and Contrast Essay
Comparing and Contrasting London and Washington, DC
by Scott McLean in Writing for Success
Both Washington, DC, and London are capital cities of English-
speaking countries, and yet they offer vastly different experiences to their
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