Ohio 8th Grade English Language Arts (ELA) OST Practice Test

In an informational text, how can you tell if a statement is a fact or an opinion?

Facts are verifiable by evidence; opinions express beliefs or judgments and are not verifiable in the same way.

Understanding how to tell facts from opinions in informational text helps you judge what you’re reading. A fact is a statement that can be supported or proven with evidence, data, or direct observation, and it can be verified by checking reliable sources, measurements, or experiments. An opinion expresses a belief, judgment, or personal viewpoint and isn’t verifiable in the same objective way because it reflects what someone thinks or feels rather than something that can be proven.

For example, “Water boils at 100°C at sea level” is a fact you can verify with a thermometer or reliable science sources. “Water is the best beverage for everyone” is an opinion because it’s a personal preference and can’t be proven true for all readers.

Length of the sentence doesn’t determine fact vs. opinion, and opinions aren’t proven by experiments (experiments support facts). Facts aren’t invented; they’re based on evidence.

Facts are always shorter than opinions.

Opinions can be verified by experiments; facts cannot.

Facts are invented; opinions are fixed.