What this lesson teaches
I can explain how citizens can shape decisions on public matters, for example through feedback and dialogue.
Syllabus K230, Issue 1, Guiding Question 4. Influencing decision-making in public affairs
Make a guess
A minister's speech says, "This is the right policy for Singapore, and families will welcome it." Do you think this sentence gives you facts to cross-reference?
- No, both parts are views that you cannot check as written.
- Yes, the part about families welcoming it is a fact.
- Yes, because a minister has the data to back up what is said.
Show the answer
No, both parts are views that you cannot check as written.
"The right policy" and "families will welcome it" are opinions. They show the speaker's aim, which helps a purpose answer.
A fact can be checked. An opinion is a view that cannot be proved. A judgement is a view backed by reasons. Telling them apart shows you how far a source can be trusted.
A fact is a statement you can check against evidence, such as a date, a number or an event. "The new path opened on 1 March" is a fact, because records can show whether it is true. A fact can still be wrong, so check it against another source.
An opinion is a view or feeling that cannot be proved true or false. Words such as "best", "terrible", "should" and "I feel" often signal one. "The new path is the best thing to happen to our estate" is an opinion: others may disagree, and no record can settle it.
A judgement is an opinion supported by reasons or evidence. "The path is safer, because accidents on the old road fell from six to two in a year" is a judgement. It is still a view, but you can test the reason it gives. Judgements are more convincing than bare opinions, so they are worth examining closely.
This matters in source questions. A source that is mostly opinion tells you what its author thinks or wants, which helps a purpose or message answer. A source with checkable facts can be cross-referenced, which helps a reliability or usefulness answer. Authors often mix the two, so separate them sentence by sentence before you decide how far to trust the source.
- Fact
- A statement that can be checked against evidence, such as a date or a figure.
- Judgement
- A view supported by reasons or evidence, so its reasons can be tested.
Worked example: Sorting a resident's letter
Source: "The town council opened the new cycling path on 1 March. Since then, I have seen far more families using it at weekends. Frankly, it is the best decision the council has made, and every estate should copy it."
- "Opened the new cycling path on 1 March" is a fact. You could check the date in a town council notice.
- "I have seen far more families using it" is the writer's observation. It may be true, but it rests on what one person noticed, not on a count.
- "The best decision the council has made" and "every estate should copy it" are opinions. They show the writer's attitude, which helps a message or purpose answer.
- Use it: the letter is strong evidence of one resident's approval, but weak evidence of how many people use the path. To test that, you would need a count of users.
Watch out for this
A source written in a confident tone must be stating facts.
Tone is not evidence. Ask whether each statement could be checked. "Everyone agrees" sounds certain but is an opinion unless the source shows how it knows.
Check your understanding
Which statement is a judgement, not a bare opinion?
- The scheme helped, as 40 of the 50 workers found jobs.
- The scheme was a great success that the whole town should be proud of.
- The scheme started in January and ran for six months.
Show the answer
The scheme helped, as 40 of the 50 workers found jobs.
Right. It gives a view and supports it with a figure you can check, which makes it a judgement.