How to tell fact from opinion and spot bias
TEAS 7 outline: Distinguish fact from opinion; spot misconceptions and bias
Also covers HESI A2 Reading (Fact vs. opinion)
- Ask "Could someone check this?" If yes, it is a fact.
- Value words, should or must, and "I believe" signal opinion.
- If a sentence mixes a fact with a judgment, it is an opinion.
- Bias shows in loaded words, one-sided evidence, and missing viewpoints.
- A stereotype assumes a whole group shares a trait, often with all or never.
Key facts
- Ask "Could someone check this?" A statement that can be verified with a record, measurement, or study is a fact; a judgment is an opinion.
- Value words (best, unfair, outrageous), "should" or "must" statements, and phrases such as "I believe" or "in my view" signal opinion.
- If one sentence mixes a checkable detail with a judgment, the judgment makes the statement as a whole an opinion.
Show all 6 key factsShow fewer
- Bias is a preconceived opinion; look for emotionally loaded words, one side presented as the only side, and views left out.
- A stereotype assumes a trait about a whole group of people, often with words such as all, every, always, or never.
- A misconception is a widely repeated idea that the evidence does not support; test it against facts, not against how familiar it sounds.
Quick check1 question · 2 more at the end
Letter to the Editor: Parking Should Not Cost Patients
On March 1, Riverside General Hospital began charging $4 a day to park in its visitor garage. Before that date, parking was free. The hospital board approved the fee in a 5–2 vote at its February meeting. The garage has about 600 spaces.
I visited my father there for nine days last month, so I paid $36 just to sit by his bed. That is outrageous. The board quietly slipped through this greedy money grab while families were too busy caring for loved ones to notice. Hospital administrators never have to worry about money, so of course they did not think twice about who would pay.
According to the board's meeting notes, the fee will be used to repair the garage's elevators and lighting. That may sound reasonable, but repairs are no excuse for punishing people at the worst moments of their lives. A hospital should be a place of comfort, not a place that profits from visitors.
The board should cancel the fee immediately and find the repair money somewhere else. Every reader who has sat in a waiting room knows I am right.
The writer says, "The board quietly slipped through this greedy money grab while families were too busy caring for loved ones to notice." Which revision describes the same event in neutral, unbiased language?
Correct answer: D.
Bias often shows up through loaded words, which carry strong emotion meant to sway the reader. Words such as "slipped through," "greedy," and "money grab" judge the board instead of simply naming what it did. A neutral revision keeps the checkable event (the vote, the date, the fee) and removes every judgment word.
A "Shameful" is a loaded judgment word, so the sentence still shows the writer's bias.
B "Unfairly targets" adds an opinion about the fee, so the sentence is not neutral.
C It replaces one bias with a stereotype about all boards caring only about money.
D Correct: it states only the verifiable event, with no judgment or emotional word choice.
Full lesson
Each part starts with its main idea. Open a part when you want the details.
The short answer: A fact is a statement that can be checked against evidence such as a record, a measurement, or a study. An opinion is a judgment, belief, or recommendation that people could reasonably disagree about. Bias shows up as loaded words, one-sided evidence, and missing viewpoints. A stereotype assumes that every member of a group shares the same trait.
1 How do you tell a fact from an opinion?A fact can be checked, while an opinion can only be agreed or disagreed with. 1 min
A fact can be checked, while an opinion can only be agreed or disagreed with. A fact is a statement you could verify with a record, a measurement, or a study. An opinion is a judgment, belief, or recommendation that reasonable people could see differently.
| Statement | Can someone check it? | Type |
|---|---|---|
| "The clinic opened in 2019." | Yes, with public records | Fact |
| "The clinic has the friendliest staff in town." | No, "friendliest" is a judgment | Opinion |
| "The clinic should stay open on Sundays." | No, it is a recommendation | Opinion |
The test is whether the statement can be checked, not whether you agree with it.
2 Which words signal an opinion?Opinion statements almost always carry a judgment word you can circle. 1 min
Opinion statements almost always carry a judgment word you can circle. Train your eye to spot these:
- Value words: best, worst, smartest, unfair, outrageous, wonderful
- Judgment of degree: too many, not enough, far too expensive
- Recommendations: should, must, ought to, needs to
- Belief markers: I believe, in my view, clearly, obviously
Be careful with sentences that report a source. "The health department reported 1,200 flu cases this week" is a fact, because you can check what the department reported.
3 What is a step-by-step method?Use the same four steps on every statement, even under time pressure. 1 min
Use the same four steps on every statement, even under time pressure.
- Isolate the claim. Read only the sentence or phrase in the answer choice.
- Ask the check question. Could a record, measurement, or study prove it?
- Circle signal words. Any value word or "should" points to opinion.
- Split mixed sentences. If a checkable detail is joined to a judgment, the judgment wins.
Try it on this text: "The cafeteria added a salad bar in May. Sales of salads rose by 30 percent that summer. The new menu is a huge improvement, and every hospital should copy it."
- Sentence 1 can be checked against the cafeteria's records, so it is a fact.
- Sentence 2 can be checked against sales data, so it is a fact.
- Sentence 3 has "huge improvement" and "should," so it is an opinion. The numbers before it do not change that.
4 How do you spot bias and loaded words?Bias is a preconceived opinion, and it usually leaks out through word choice. 1 min
Bias is a preconceived opinion, and it usually leaks out through word choice. Loaded words carry strong emotion meant to sway you, while neutral words simply name the event.
| Neutral | Loaded |
|---|---|
| The board approved a fee. | The board slipped through a money grab. |
| The budget was reduced. | The budget was slashed. |
| Some people disagree. | Only fools disagree. |
Other signs of bias: only one side is presented, important views are left out, or the writer gains something from your agreement. A biased text can still contain true facts.
5 What are stereotypes and misconceptions?A stereotype judges a whole group, and a misconception is a popular idea the evidence does not support. 1 min
A stereotype judges a whole group, and a misconception is a popular idea the evidence does not support. A stereotype assumes every member of a group shares a trait: "Tall people are always good at basketball." Watch for all, every, always, never attached to a group of people.
Stereotypes often come from a hasty generalization, a conclusion drawn from too little evidence, such as judging all night-shift workers by one coworker.
A misconception is a widely repeated belief that facts contradict. For example, the idea that antibiotics cure a cold is a misconception. The CDC states that antibiotics do not treat viral infections such as colds. Test the claim against evidence, not against how often you have heard it.
Common mistakes
The traps students fall into most. Read these before you practice.
Watch out: An opinion you agree with is still an opinion; judge whether it can be checked, not whether it sounds right.
Watch out: A sentence that contains a number can still be an opinion if it adds a judgment, as in "40 percent of staff skip lunch, which is shameful."
Watch out: Reporting what a source says ("The health department reported…") is a fact, because you can check that the source said it.
Watch out: A confident, formal tone does not make a text unbiased; check the word choice and which side is missing.
Watch out: A positive-sounding generalization such as "all nurses are patient" is still a stereotype.
How to remember it
Ask one short question of every statement, and let the answer decide. "Can I check it, or can I only judge it?" Check it means fact; judge it means opinion.
To catch bias, add a second question: "Whose side is missing?"
Self-check:
- Label this sentence: "Our hospital has 312 beds, which is far too few." Which word decides it?
- Rewrite "The city wasted money on a useless bike lane" in neutral words.
- Explain why "People who live in big cities are always in a hurry" is a stereotype.