- Which choice best explains why the memo's final sentence is an opinion?
Answer: The word "wisest" judges the purchase against every earlier purchase.
When a question asks you to identify an opinion, look for language that involves personal judgment — words like "best," "worst," "greatest," or "wisest." These words don't just describe facts; they make a claim that requires comparing and evaluating, which different people might assess differently.
The memo's final sentence calls the machine "the wisest purchase this department has ever made." The word wisest is doing something very specific: it's ranking this one purchase above every other purchase the department has ever made. That's a sweeping judgment, not a measurable fact. No data in the memo supports that claim — we're only given two months of box-damage numbers. There's no comparison to other purchases, no long-term data, and no agreed-upon definition of "wise." Because the claim relies on subjective evaluation rather than evidence, it's an opinion. That makes C the correct answer.
Choice A is a true observation — the totals do come from different months — but that's a fact about the data's structure, not an explanation of why the conclusion is an opinion. Choice B is also accurate (the machine was installed before May's count), but again, this describes the timeline, not why the judgment is subjective. Choice D points out the decrease in damaged boxes, which is actually the factual part of the memo — a fact cannot explain why something is an opinion.
A useful strategy: when hunting for opinions, circle evaluative adjectives (good, wisest, best, worst). If the passage doesn't provide direct evidence to prove that judgment, you're looking at an opinion.
- Which fact does the resident use to support the opinion that the project was a poor use of money?
Answer: Six of the planted trees were no longer living in spring.
When a question asks you to identify the fact someone uses to support an opinion, you need to separate two things: what the person believes (the opinion) and what evidence they point to (the supporting fact). The resident's opinion is that the project was "a poor use of public money." Your job is to find the specific piece of information from the report that the resident cites to back that claim up.
The resident's letter focuses on the six trees that died. That detail — six trees did not survive — is the evidence the resident uses to argue the money was wasted. This makes B the correct answer. It names a verifiable fact from the report (34 survived out of 40, meaning 6 did not), and it's the fact directly tied to the resident's complaint.
A is incorrect because the location and timing of the planting (Mason Street, last year) are background details from the report — they don't support the resident's opinion about poor spending. C is a trap: it sounds like a fact, but it actually sneaks in a conclusion ("financially successful") that nobody in the passage states. It's a made-up claim, not something the report or the letter says. D is the most important distractor to recognize — it's a sweeping generalization that the resident never makes. The resident criticizes this project, not all public planting projects. Introducing that broad claim would be going beyond what the letter actually says.
Your strategy tip: when identifying supporting facts, ask yourself, "Did the author actually say this, and does it directly connect to their opinion?" If either answer is no, eliminate that choice.
- Which statement from the notice is an opinion supported by a reason?
Answer: The west path is better because it passes the garden.
When reading any informational text, your job is to separate facts from opinions. A fact is something that can be verified — checked against reality. An opinion is a personal judgment or belief. Here's the key twist this question adds: an opinion can be supported by a reason, and that combination is what you're hunting for.
Choice D — "The west path is better because it passes the garden" — is the correct answer. The word "better" signals a judgment, not a measurable fact. Different visitors might disagree based on personal preference. The phrase "because it passes the garden" is the reason given to support that judgment. Opinion + supporting reason = exactly what the question asks for.
Now let's rule out the others. Choice A states the path closes for five days (May 6–10). You can count those days and verify it — that's a pure fact. Choice B tells you workers will replace three damaged lights. Again, this is a verifiable fact: the number of lights and the task are specific and checkable. Choice C informs visitors they may use the west path — this is a factual statement about an available option, not a judgment about whether it's good or preferable.
A useful strategy: watch for evaluative words like better, best, worse, beautiful, or important — these almost always signal an opinion. Then check whether the sentence also includes a "because" clause or another reason. If both elements are present, you've found an opinion supported by a reason, just like D.
- Why should the director's prediction be classified as an opinion rather than a fact?
Answer: It concerns a future result that has not yet been measured.
When a question asks you to classify something as a fact or opinion, focus on one key question: Can this statement be verified right now with evidence? Facts are statements that have already been proven or measured. Opinions are judgments, predictions, or beliefs — even well-informed ones — that haven't been confirmed yet.
The director's prediction — that attendance "will reach a record level" — describes something that hasn't happened. No one can measure future attendance today, which means there's no evidence to confirm or deny it. That's exactly why A is correct: it points to the defining feature of an opinion in this context, that the outcome lies in the future and remains unverified.
Choice B describes comparing the two attendance totals (980 vs. 1,240) — but that comparison is drawn from real, already-recorded data, making it a fact, not the prediction. Choice C refers to the addition of evening computer classes, which is a concrete, scheduled change — also a verifiable fact. Choice D mentions the exact figure of 980 from a previous summer, again a measurable, confirmed number. None of B, C, or D describe the prediction itself; they all point to factual details already present in the passage.
A common trap on fact-vs-opinion questions is confusing a reasonable claim with a verified one. The director's prediction may be logical given the rising attendance trend, but reasonable isn't the same as proven.
Study tip: Whenever you see words like will, should, believes, or predicts, that's a signal you're likely looking at an opinion — especially when it describes a future outcome.
- Which claim in the newsletter is an opinion, although it appears next to supporting information?
Answer: The later schedule is much more convenient for everyone.
When reading workplace or news writing, it's important to distinguish between facts (statements that can be verified) and opinions (statements that reflect a personal judgment or interpretation). The tricky part is that opinions sometimes appear right next to facts, which can make them feel more reliable than they actually are.
In this newsletter, most of the information is factual and verifiable — you could check records to confirm the bus times, the trial period, or the number of employees who participated. But Marta Ruiz's quote — "The new schedule is much more convenient for everyone" — is a judgment call. Words like "much more convenient" express a personal assessment, and "everyone" is a sweeping generalization that can't be proven true for all 44 workers. That makes C the correct answer: it's an opinion dressed up in a factual-sounding context.
Choice A is a verifiable fact — you can check the calendar to confirm the change happens on Monday. Choice B is also a verifiable fact — the number 31 out of 44 comes directly from the trial data and can be confirmed. Choice D is a fact as well — subtracting 6:25 from 6:40 gives you a 15-minute difference, which is mathematically provable.
A useful strategy: watch for absolute words like "everyone," "always," "never," or "the best." These signal opinions because no single person can speak for everyone's experience. Also, just because a quote appears next to real data doesn't mean the quote itself is factual — always evaluate each sentence on its own terms.
- Which part of the update is a fact, not an evaluation or recommendation?
Answer: Fifty-two patients received flu shots during September.
When reading any passage — especially one from a health or workplace setting — it helps to sort each sentence into one of three buckets: facts, opinions/evaluations, or recommendations. Facts can be verified with evidence. Opinions reflect someone's judgment. Recommendations tell you what should happen.
The passage contains all three, and your job is to identify the pure fact. Choice C states that fifty-two patients received flu shots during September. That number either matches the clinic's records or it doesn't — no judgment required. It's a verifiable, objective claim, which makes it a fact.
Now look at why the other choices fail. Choice A says the turnout was "surprisingly strong" — that word surprisingly signals a personal reaction or evaluation. The director said this, which tells you it's someone's opinion, not a neutral count. Choice B says evening clinics should continue through winter. The word should is a classic flag for a recommendation — it argues for a course of action rather than reporting what happened. Choice D takes the number 87 and calls it "clearly an impressive attendance total." Adding the words clearly and impressive turns a number into a judgment, making it an evaluation dressed up as a fact.
A simple strategy: watch for loaded words. Evaluations often use words like strong, impressive, surprisingly, or clearly. Recommendations often use should, must, or ought to. If a sentence contains those words, it's almost never a plain fact. When you strip a statement down to who did what and how many, you're usually left with the fact.
- Which choice correctly separates a fact from an opinion in the summary?
Answer: The class lasted three hours is a fact; calling it most useful is an opinion.
When reading any informational text, it helps to ask yourself: Can this be proven, or is this someone's judgment? Facts are statements that can be verified — checked against records, measurements, or observations. Opinions express a personal belief or evaluation and often use words like "best," "worst," or "most useful."
In this passage, some statements are clearly checkable: attendance records could confirm that twelve employees showed up, a clock could verify the class ran three hours, and a schedule could confirm it happened on Tuesday. One statement stands out as different — "it was the most useful training offered this year." That's a personal judgment from whoever wrote the summary. There's no objective way to measure "most useful." That signal phrase makes it unmistakably an opinion. Choice A correctly identifies both pieces: the three-hour duration is a verifiable fact, and "most useful" is a personal opinion. A is the correct answer.
Choice B goes wrong by calling "first-aid training" an opinion — it's simply the name of the course, which is factual and verifiable. Choice C gets things exactly backwards: twelve employees attending is a fact (it's countable and recorded), not an opinion. Choice D makes the opposite error from A — it labels "most useful" as a fact and the class length as an opinion, which reverses the actual relationship between the two.
A quick tip: watch for loaded or evaluative language — words like most, best, worst, or should are strong opinion signals. If a statement can be measured or confirmed with a document, it's almost always a fact.
- Which revision changes the opinion into a factual statement while keeping the same general topic?
Answer: The new customer-service desk is 20 feet from the north entrance.
When a question asks you to turn an opinion into a fact, you need to understand the difference: opinions express personal judgments or feelings (words like perfect, best, convenient), while facts state something that can be measured, verified, or proven independently.
The original sentence calls the location "perfect" — that's a judgment. To make it factual, you need to replace that judgment with something concrete and verifiable. Answer B does exactly this: "20 feet from the north entrance" is a measurable distance that anyone with a tape measure can confirm. It keeps the same topic (location near the north entrance) while replacing the opinion with a real, checkable fact. B is the correct answer.
The three wrong answers all stay in opinion territory, just dressed differently. A swaps "perfect" for "very convenient" — but convenience is still a personal judgment, not a fact. C replaces "perfect" with "best possible location," which is actually a stronger opinion, not a factual revision. D introduces a feeling ("feels closer") and a vague comparison without any measurable detail, making it more subjective, not less.
A useful strategy: watch for feeling and judgment words — perfect, best, convenient, great, feels — as signals that a statement is opinion-based. True factual statements use numbers, dates, measurements, or specific observable details that don't depend on anyone's personal view. On reading comprehension questions like this, always ask yourself: "Could two people reasonably disagree about this?" If yes, it's likely an opinion.
- Which sentence expresses an opinion rather than a rule, schedule, or recommendation?
Answer: Rinsing containers is the most responsible tenant habit.
When reading workplace or instructional documents, it helps to sort sentences into categories: facts, rules, schedules, recommendations, and opinions. Facts and rules can be verified; opinions reflect personal judgments or values. This question asks you to spot the one sentence that expresses a viewpoint rather than something objective.
Choice D — "Rinsing containers is the most responsible tenant habit" — is the opinion. The word "most responsible" is a value judgment. It tells you what someone believes is best, not what the rules require or what evidence proves. No measurement or policy establishes that rinsing containers ranks above all other habits a tenant could develop. That superlative phrasing ("most responsible") is your signal that someone is expressing a personal evaluation.
Choice A and Choice B are straightforward facts drawn directly from the instructions: blue bin for paper, green bin for glass. You can verify both by rereading the passage — there's no room for disagreement. Choice C describes a recommendation — the manager suggests rinsing containers to prevent spills. A recommendation tells you what someone advises, but it's still grounded in a practical, observable reason (reducing spills), not a value judgment about what's "most responsible."
Notice the difference between C and D: C says the manager recommends rinsing (a stated suggestion), while D says rinsing is the most responsible habit (an evaluative claim). That shift from "here's what's advised" to "here's what's morally best" is exactly where fact ends and opinion begins.
Your strategy: Watch for superlatives like best, most, or greatest — they often signal opinions, because ranking things by value requires judgment, not just observation.
- Which statement could be checked without relying on a customer's personal taste or judgment?
Answer: The café serves breakfast until 11:30 each morning.
When reading a review or opinion piece, it helps to ask yourself: can this be verified with a clock, a ruler, or a fact — or does it depend on someone's feelings? This question tests your ability to separate objective facts from subjective opinions.
An objective statement can be confirmed or disproved without anyone's personal taste or judgment. A subjective statement reflects feelings, preferences, or impressions that different people might experience differently. Answer D — that the café serves breakfast until 11:30 each morning — is a verifiable fact. You could simply walk into the café, check their menu, or call ahead. No personal opinion is involved whatsoever.
Answer A is incorrect because "most satisfying" is a matter of personal taste. One person's favorite soup is another person's disappointment — there's no objective way to crown a winner. Answer B contains the word "fairly small," which is a judgment call. What feels small to one diner may feel perfectly adequate to another; smallness here depends on individual perception. Answer C is the most clearly subjective of all — words like "unusually welcoming feeling" describe an emotional impression that varies from person to person. No measurement tool could confirm or deny a "welcoming feeling."
A useful strategy: watch for emotionally loaded or comparative words — most satisfying, fairly, unusually, welcoming — as signals that a statement is subjective. Objective statements tend to contain specific, measurable details like times, numbers, or locations. When a question asks what can be "checked" or "verified," zero in on whichever answer choice contains hard, countable facts.
