Analyse, evaluate and develop facts, ideas and opinions, with appropriate support from the text.

2. Directed Writing and Composition

Objective

Analyse, evaluate and develop facts, ideas and opinions, with appropriate support from the text. 📚

What Are Facts and Opinions?

  • Fact: A statement that can be proven true or false. Think of it as a solid brick in a building. 🧱
  • Opinion: A personal view or judgment that cannot be proven true or false. It’s like the paint that gives the building its style. 🎨

Analysing Texts

  1. Read the passage carefully. Highlight key words that signal facts (e.g., “research shows”, “data indicates”).
  2. Identify any opinions. Look for words like “believe”, “think”, “feel”.
  3. Check the evidence: Does the text provide statistics, quotes, or examples to back up the fact or opinion?
  4. Ask yourself: Is this statement supported? Why or why not? 🔍

Evaluating Support

Use the FACT‑OPINION‑EVIDENCE framework:

Fact / Opinion Supporting Evidence Evaluation
Fact: “The average temperature in London rose by 2°C over the last decade.” Data from the Met Office (2010‑2020). Reliable source, recent data → strong support.
Opinion: “London’s climate change is the biggest threat to the city.” Author’s personal view, no statistics. Needs more evidence (e.g., economic impact studies).

Developing Your Own Writing

When you write a directed piece, follow these steps:

  1. Choose a Topic: Pick something you can find both facts and opinions about. 🌍
  2. Plan: Create a quick outline with introduction, body, conclusion.
  3. Insert Facts: Use reliable sources. Cite them in parentheses (e.g., (World Bank, 2023)).
  4. State Opinions: Start with “I believe”, “In my view”, or “It seems that”.
  5. Support Opinions: Provide at least one fact or example for each opinion.
  6. Use transition words (e.g., “however”, “therefore”, “for instance”) to link ideas smoothly.
  7. Review: Check that every opinion has support and every fact is accurate.

Example Prompt & Response

Prompt: “Discuss the impact of social media on teenagers’ self‑esteem.”

Response Outline:

  • Intro: Briefly define social media and self‑esteem.
  • Body 1 – Fact: “A 2022 study by the Royal Society of Psychology found that 60% of teens report lower self‑esteem after frequent social media use.” (source)
  • Body 2 – Opinion: “I think social media can be a double‑edged sword.” Support: “While it offers community, it also encourages comparison.”
  • Body 3 – Fact: “The same study noted that positive feedback on posts can boost confidence.”
  • Conclusion: Summarise and suggest balanced use.

Quick Tips for Success

  • Use the FACT‑OPINION‑EVIDENCE table to organise thoughts.
  • Keep sentences clear: one idea per sentence.
  • Check spelling and punctuation—tiny errors can distract from strong arguments.
  • Practice with different texts: news articles, essays, reports.
  • Ask a peer to read your draft and spot any unsupported claims.

Emoji Check‑list

?? Facts ✔️ Opinions ✔️ Evidence ✔️ Coherence ✔️

Revision

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