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Opinion Reason Fact Sorting

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Opinion Reason Fact Sorting

Read the short editorial below. Sort claims carefully: an opinion expresses a judgement; a reason explains or supports a position; a fact is verifiable. A statistic is not automatically reliable just because it is precise. Then analyse how the argument works.

Editorial: Should the town centre close one street to cars on Saturdays?

The council should trial a car-free Saturday on Harbour Street for three months. The street is already a meeting place, and making it safer for people on foot would improve the town centre for everyone. In a council survey of 240 residents conducted in March, 156 supported a trial, 54 opposed it and 30 were undecided. Those figures show that a majority of survey respondents supported the proposal, although the survey does not necessarily represent every resident. A car-free street could also give cafés and shops more room for outdoor displays, which may encourage people to stay longer. Some traders worry that customers who drive will go elsewhere. That concern deserves attention: the council should provide clear signs to nearby parking and compare visitor numbers before and during the trial. Keeping the street exactly as it is would be a mistake; a measured trial would let the community judge the effects using evidence rather than guesswork.

1.Classify this sentence from the editorial: “The council should trial a car-free Saturday on Harbour Street for three months.” Choose opinion, reason or fact, and explain the clue that helped you decide.

2.Classify the survey result: “In a council survey of 240 residents conducted in March, 156 supported a trial, 54 opposed it and 30 were undecided.” What makes it potentially verifiable?

3.Classify this statement: “A car-free street could also give cafés and shops more room for outdoor displays, which may encourage people to stay longer.”

Opinion only
Reason supporting the proposal
Verified fact
A conclusion unrelated to the claim

4.The editorial says a majority of survey respondents supported the proposal. Calculate the percentage of respondents who supported it: 156 out of 240. Then explain one limitation of using this result to claim that most town residents support the proposal.

5.Which sentence most clearly acknowledges an opposing view before responding to it?

“The council should trial a car-free Saturday on Harbour Street for three months.”
“Some traders worry that customers who drive will go elsewhere.”
“That concern deserves attention: the council should provide clear signs to nearby parking and compare visitor numbers before and during the trial.”
“Keeping the street exactly as it is would be a mistake.”

6.Is “Keeping the street exactly as it is would be a mistake” a fact or an opinion? Explain why its wording matters to the argument.

7.Match each description to the best term: (a) the position the writer wants readers to accept; (b) a statement offered in support of that position; (c) information that can be checked against evidence.

(a) Position the writer wants readers to accept
(b) Statement offered in support of a position
(c) Information that can be checked against evidence

Reason
Claim
Fact

8.The writer proposes signs to nearby parking and a comparison of visitor numbers. Which is the strongest reason to collect visitor numbers both before and during the trial?

To prove in advance that the proposal will work
To compare conditions and assess whether visitor numbers change during the trial
To show that every trader supports the proposal
To replace the need to consider residents' views

9.Identify one piece of evidence the editorial already provides and one additional piece of evidence that would help evaluate the possible effect on traders. Explain how the new evidence would help.

10.Rewrite this weak statement as a fair, evidence-conscious sentence: “Everyone wants the street closed because it will definitely make every business more money.” Use only what the editorial supports, and avoid overstating the evidence.

11.In two or three sentences, evaluate how effectively the editorial combines opinion, reasons and facts. Refer to at least one example of each and identify one limitation.