“`html

📚 Detailed Explanation of Distinguishing Facts from Opinions

When learning to distinguish facts from opinions in Year 6 English, it is important to understand what facts and opinions really mean. This skill is essential because it helps us understand texts better and make good judgements about what we read.

🔍 What is a Fact?

A fact is a statement that can be proven true or false. Facts are based on real information or evidence. For example:

  • “The capital of England is London.”
  • “Water freezes at 0 degrees Celsius.”

These sentences are factual because you can check them and see whether they are true.

📝 What is an Opinion?

An opinion is a statement that shows someone’s feelings, beliefs, or thoughts. Opinions cannot be proven right or wrong because they are personal. For example:

  • “Chocolate ice cream is the best flavour.”
  • “Football is more fun than basketball.”

People can agree or disagree with opinions, but opinions are not facts.

⚖️ How to Distinguish Facts from Opinions

  1. Look for proof: Can you check if the statement is true? If yes, it’s probably a fact.
  2. Listen to words of opinion: Words like “best,” “worst,” “should,” or “I think” often show opinions.
  3. Ask yourself if everyone would agree: Facts are the same for everyone, but opinions can vary from person to person.
  4. Check if the statement includes feelings or beliefs: If it does, it’s more likely an opinion.

🧩 Examples

  • Fact: “The River Thames flows through London.”
  • Opinion: “The River Thames is the most beautiful river in the UK.”
  • Fact: “Humans have walked on the moon.”
  • Opinion: “Walking on the moon was the greatest achievement in history.”

🎯 Tips for Year 6 Students

  • When reading, underline facts in one colour and opinions in another.
  • Practice by writing one fact and one opinion about something you like, such as a sport or book.
  • Discuss with your classmates or family the differences between facts and opinions in news stories or adverts.
  • Remember, some sentences might have both facts and opinions together, so look carefully at each part.

By using these steps and practising, Year 6 students can get really good at distinguishing facts from opinions, which helps make reading and writing clearer and more interesting. This skill matches the UK National Curriculum goals for English in Key Stage 2, where understanding the purpose and meaning of texts is important.

✏️ 20 Examination-Style Questions with Answers on Facts vs Opinions for Year 6 English

Here are 20 examination-style questions to help Year 6 students practise distinguishing between facts and opinions. These questions follow the Key Stage 2 English curriculum and focus on understanding how to tell if a statement is a fact or an opinion.

📝 Questions

  1. Read the sentence:
    “The Eiffel Tower is 324 metres tall.”
    Is this a fact or an opinion?
    Answer: Fact
  2. Read the sentence:
    “Chocolate ice cream tastes better than vanilla.”
    Is this a fact or an opinion?
    Answer: Opinion
  3. Read the sentence:
    “Dogs have four legs.”
    Is this a fact or an opinion?
    Answer: Fact
  4. Read the sentence:
    “My maths teacher is the best teacher ever.”
    Is this a fact or an opinion?
    Answer: Opinion
  5. Read the sentence:
    “The sun rises in the east.”
    Is this a fact or an opinion?
    Answer: Fact
  6. Read the sentence:
    “Football is the most exciting sport to watch.”
    Is this a fact or an opinion?
    Answer: Opinion
  7. Read the sentence:
    “Water freezes at 0 degrees Celsius.”
    Is this a fact or an opinion?
    Answer: Fact
  8. Read the sentence:
    “Spring is the nicest season of the year.”
    Is this a fact or an opinion?
    Answer: Opinion
  9. Read the sentence:
    “Shakespeare wrote Macbeth.”
    Is this a fact or an opinion?
    Answer: Fact
  10. Read the sentence:
    “Blue is the best colour for a bedroom.”
    Is this a fact or an opinion?
    Answer: Opinion
  11. Read the sentence:
    “The Great Wall of China is more than 13,000 miles long.”
    Is this a fact or an opinion?
    Answer: Fact
  12. Read the sentence:
    “Maths is a boring subject.”
    Is this a fact or an opinion?
    Answer: Opinion
  13. Read the sentence:
    “There are seven days in a week.”
    Is this a fact or an opinion?
    Answer: Fact
  14. Read the sentence:
    “Cats are friendlier than dogs.”
    Is this a fact or an opinion?
    Answer: Opinion
  15. Read the sentence:
    “Mount Everest is the tallest mountain in the world.”
    Is this a fact or an opinion?
    Answer: Fact
  16. Read the sentence:
    “Chocolate cake tastes better than carrot cake.”
    Is this a fact or an opinion?
    Answer: Opinion
  17. Read the sentence:
    “London is the capital city of England.”
    Is this a fact or an opinion?
    Answer: Fact
  18. Read the sentence:
    “The best holiday destination is the beach.”
    Is this a fact or an opinion?
    Answer: Opinion
  19. Read the sentence:
    “Birds can fly.”
    Is this a fact or an opinion?
    Answer: Fact
  20. Read the sentence:
    “Reading books is more fun than watching TV.”
    Is this a fact or an opinion?
    Answer: Opinion

These questions help Year 6 students practise recognising facts (which are true and can be proven) and opinions (which are personal beliefs or feelings). Remember, facts can be checked with evidence, but opinions are beliefs that can differ from person to person.

“`