Opinion

Opinion vs. Fact

A statement is either a statement of fact or of opinion.

For example, someone might make the following statement: Jean Valjean is the best character in Les Misérables. This is a statement of opinion: the speaker believes that Jean Valjean is the best character, but there is no way to prove this is objectively true.

Alternatively, someone could make the following statement: Les Misérables is a story that examines the line between law and grace and how to interpret the word justice. This is a statement of fact, and it is true because these themes are present in the story.

Argument Definition

An argument is a reason or set of reasons presented to support a claim.

Arguments seek to prove a claim is valid, so they are generally based on objective facts and data. These things can be validated or invalidated; in other words, proven true or false. If a claim uses an argument that contains false information, that argument is invalid. It doesn’t invalidate the claim, but it weakens it.

The example of a poor argument is not as good because it's a false statement: The Chronicles of Narnia were written by C.S. Lewis (as an adult). A false argument does not support a claim, no matter how good or convincing it sounds.

The better argument is a true statement: C.S. Lewis wove the Christian allegory throughout the entire series. This fact alone may not convince people to believe the claim—that it’s the best fantasy series—but it might help the audience come closer to accepting the claim. The writer will likely need to provide several arguments to support a claim so bold.

Differences Between Opinion and Argument

Arguments and opinions are easy to confuse. Someone with an opinion presents a claim they believe is true; someone with an argument presents a claim they believe is true. So what’s the difference?

The main difference between opinion and argument is an opinion does not necessarily need to prove itself with facts and details.

The substance of the opinion or argument doesn’t matter. The difference is that an argument presents a claim supported by evidence—which is rooted in objective information—and asks the audience to accept the claim.

If the argument is not rooted in objective evidence, the audience is less likely to accept the claim and might view it as merely an opinion. It all hinges on how the claim is presented and what details, if any, you use to support it.

Types of Opinion

When you begin a sentence with “I think” or “I believe,” you are about to reveal a statement of opinion. There are different types of opinions, each of which implies something different about the speaker and the credibility of the opinion.

Collective opinion – the opinion formed and held by a group of people about a particular subject.

Expert opinion – the belief or judgement based on one’s experience, knowledge, or education in a given field.

Personal opinion – an opinion based on a single person’s feelings or knowledge of something.

Collective opinion can be influenced by a number of factors, including something called groupthink.

For this reason, you should always closely examine an opinion offered by a group to determine what motivates the collective and its opinion on the topic.

Personal opinion is similar to collective opinion in that it can be swayed by a variety of factors. Personal opinion is rarely without bias, which greatly reduces the credibility of the opinion itself.

A personal opinion that is heavily biased is not credible because it’s capable of blinding a person to objective facts.

Expert opinion, on the other hand, is highly credible—so much so that it is often used in a court of law to settle disputes. This is because experts are people that have devoted their time and energy to learning the objective details about a subject.

An expert can be someone with extensive knowledge in any field.

Expert opinions are a high-quality source of information when writing an essay.

Opinion in an Essay

Nearly every type of essay requires a thesis statement.

A good thesis statement should be arguable, which means it should contain an opinion. It is the responsibility of the writer to convince the audience that their perspective on the subject—their thesis—is logically and factually sound.

Your thesis should simply be your opinion about objective facts and details. Remember to keep your descriptions factual. Don't take too many liberties with details from other texts or sources. Your opinion comes in the discussion of how the details interact with each other and other ideas.

This example is good because it is based on objective detail (i.e., the research regarding language and culture) and contains a specific opinion. The writer believes cultural immersion is the best course for language acquisition.

This is not an effective thesis statement for an essay because it merely states a fact with no opinion whatsoever.

More Opinion Examples

Below are a few examples of opinions, with information on how the opinions function in the text.

Dowd’s opinion is seen here where she says they “shared a few things in common,” but more so in the language she used to describe the similarities. She calls their interaction with the press “toxic” and says they’re both willing to “blow up norms.” Her word choice is entirely subjective, or based on her perspective, and so it is her opinion.

The above quote comes from Lady Windermere’s Fan (1892), one of Oscar Wilde’s famous plays. Lord Darlington, the speaker, boldly makes this statement as though it were fact. He doesn’t begin the sentence with “I think” or “I believe." The audience would still realize, however, that this is not a statement of fact, but it's his opinion. How do they know this? Because of how outlandish the claim is! After all, many people would argue that it is quite possible for men and women to be friends.

Argument Examples

Below are a few examples of arguments, with information on how the argument functions in the text.

This quote is taken from George Washington’s Farewell Address as he exited office. The claim of Washington’s argument is that there is more significance in what Americans have in common than what they do not. He supports his claim by saying the differences in religion, manners, habits, and political parties pale in comparison to the bond shared between Americans after fighting for their liberty together. Regardless of whether you agree with this claim, the argument still resonates over two hundred years later.

The question under dispute here is which is worse, pride or vanity? Mr. Darcy’s claim is that vanity is weakness, but pride is the greater offense. He supports his claim in the way he words his response—pride is a result of a lack of “real superiority of mind.” In so many words, Mr. Darcy's argument is that anyone who is prideful is weak in the mind.