Passi National High School

SPECIAL PROGRAM IN SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY AND ENGINEERING

STUDY NOTES IN ENGLISH 10: WORLD LITERATURE

Learning Facilitator: Mr. John Edsel G. Cerbas
LANGUAGE TOPIC(S): Formulating Statements of Opinion and Assertion
For this lesson, you are expected to:
1. Determine statements that are opinion and assertion.
2. Define opinion and assertion.
3. Differentiate opinion from assertion.
4. Formulate statements of opinion and statements of assertion.

INITIAL TASK. Choose the letter of the best answer, and write it on a separate sheet of paper.
1. It is a statement that is commonly believed to be true even without proof or evidence.
A. Fact B. Opinion C. Commonplace Assertion D. Bias or Prejudice
2. It is a statement that is verifiable, or can be proven true or false based on evidence or proof.
A. Fact B. Opinion C. Commonplace Assertion D. Bias or Prejudice
3. Which of the following best defines an opinion?
A. It is a declarative statement that is generally accepted as true.
B. It is a personal view, judgment or appraisal about a particular matter.
C. It can be proven true or false based on whatever evidence is available.
D. It is a statement that is true not only to the speaker but to everyone else.
4. What is the similarity between an opinion and a commonplace assertion?
A. They can be opposed. C. They are based on evidence or proof.
B. They are subjective and personal. D. They are generally accepted to be true.
5. Which is not a category of an opinion statement?
A. Statement of Truth B. Statement of Policy C. Statement of Value D. Statement of Preference
6. Under what category of opinion statement does the following statement belong to? Online selling has become a very viable source of
income nowadays.
A. Statement of Truth B. Statement of Value C. Statement of Policy D. Statement of Preference
7. Which of the following is a well-constructed opinion statement?
A. Baguio is the safest city to live in during this pandemic.
B. I think the local government of Baguio deserves recognition for its efforts.
C. LGU leaders in the city always make sound and calculated decisions.
D. Mayor Benjamin Magalong exemplary handled the pandemic in his jurisdiction.
8. Which of these statements is neither an opinion nor a commonplace assertion?
A. Women are careful drivers.
B. All industrial nations are first world countries.
C. There are more men than women who became president of the country.
D. The number of males in the Senate and Congress suggests that males are better lawmakers.
9. A commonplace assertion is commonly referred to as stereotypes. Which of these statements is an example of stereotype?
A. All boys are more open-minded than girls.
B. Most religions allow only the males to be the leaders.
C. Schools across the country advocate gender equality.
D. Women deserve the same opportunities that are given to men.
10. What makes the following statement an example of commonplace assertion?
Milk is good for your body.
A. It asserts that milk is the best source of calcium which makes bones and teeth stronger.
B. It makes people believe that milk contains all the vitamins and minerals that the body needs.
C. It disregards the fact that some people are lactose intolerant, and milk may cause stomach upset.
D. All of the above.
FACT, OPINION, BELIEF, AND COMMONPLACE ASSSERTION
Fowler H. Ramsay (1986), as outlined in the Colorado State University website, described assertion as a term generally used to
refer to statements of fact, opinion, belief and prejudice. These types or categories of assertion are quite different from one another.
A fact is a verifiable statement. It can be proven objectively by verified observations or the results of research among others.
Because statements of fact can be double-checked for accuracy, there is general agreement about the truth they posit.
On the other hand, an opinion is a personal judgment based on facts; hence, it is debatable and potentially changeable.
The third category is called belief, which is a conviction based on cultural or personal faith, morality or values. A statement of belief
may look similar with an opinion, but they are not based on evidence; that is why they cannot be contested or argued in a rational or logical
manner. Lastly, there is the rather vague category called commonplace assertion. This is a stereotype, an oversimplification or a prejudice,
which is a half-baked opinion based on insufficient or unexamined evidence, but it presented as if it were a fact. It is often accepted from
others (families, friends, media etc.), making it too common to be questioned about its truthfulness.
These categories of assertion are so prevalent in social media today, and the distinction between one another is slowly becoming
unclear because of how netizens present everything as facts. This is why every social media needs to be a critical and informed reader to be
able to verify the truthfulness of the information he/she comes across.
In one of the previous modules, you learned about the language of research, advocacies and campaigns. Opinions and assertions
are very important in advocacies and campaigns; hence, it would be advantageous for a writer, or even a speaker, to clearly express their
views on important matters.

Whenever you browse your newsfeed, will you be able to tell how much of the posts you read is factual, and how much is
opinionated? If you can’t tell between fact and opinion or assertion, then you are likely to fall victim to misinformation or fake news. As a 21st
century learner, you should be able to tell the difference between the two. Similarly, you are also expected to know how to properly construct
statements of opinion or assertion.
Below is a detailed discussion of opinion and commonplace assertion.
An opinion is a type of assertion which expresses a judgment, viewpoint, or statement about matters commonly considered to be
subjective. It is a personal view; however, it is still based on facts. In other words, it is an honest attempt to draw a conclusion from factual
evidence, and not a mere statement of one’s belief, preference, or prejudice (e.g. The president is the worst leader the country has ever had.)

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An opinion statement is composed mainly of a debatable topic and a focus (i.e., the specific feeling or belief the writer or speaker
has about the topic.) It can sometimes be distinguished from other constructions because it often uses qualifying words such as almost,
usually, maybe, probably, often, some, most and in most cases. It does not have to be explicitly stated using the words “I think...” or “In my
opinion...” Take, for instance, the sentence: Most public schools are ready for distance education. The word “most” makes the sentence an
opinion that is easier to support. Opinions result from ambiguities; the more ambiguous a statement, the more difficult it is to verify, and so
they are open to disputes.
There are three categories of opinion statements, namely:
Statement of Truth: It is an opinion that something is or is not the case. For example: With the minimal number of Covid-19 cases
in the city, Baguio City clearly has more effective contact tracing methods than most cities in the country.
Statement of Value: It is an opinion statement which claims that something does or does not have worth. For example: Hard
lockdowns of barangays has not been effective in controlling the spread of the coronavirus.
Statement of Policy: It claims that something should or should not be done. For example: Amidst the ongoing pandemic, what
teachers and students need is not academic freeze but material, moral and instructional support from the leaders in the education
department.

Take note that the given examples are claims or statements that are based on existing facts or on the writer’s interpretation of
these facts; hence, they can be debated or opposed. In other words, they are personal views. They may be true for the speaker or writer,
but they can’t be true for everybody else. It is therefore important to make the readers aware of the evidence and how it led you to arrive at
your opinion.

Another statement or expression that is somewhat similar to an opinion is called commonplace assertion. Readers or listeners
sometimes confuse the two with each other; however, a commonplace assertion does not appear to be as subjective as an opinion. Instead,
it claims universality and is presented as an absolute truth. Further, a commonplace assertion is a statement used to make a declaration or
to express strong belief on a particular topic, often without evidence. They are so common (because they are passed on by friends, family
members, and the media) that they are believed to be true even without proof, and some statements of commonplace assertion have
become stereotypes. For example:
1. Men are stronger than women.
2. An apple a day keeps the doctor away.
Written as declarative sentences, these statements appear to be facts. But let us analyze each of them. The first example is a
typical stereotype, a statement that many people have accepted to be true. However, there is no evidence to support this, and there are
many layers of the statement that are ambiguous. For instance, it is not clear if it is referring only to physical strength. This is why the
statement is something that many women have been trying to disprove.
As for the second example, many people have also accepted this as a fact. However, it is not clear how an apple can keep
someone so healthy that she wouldn’t need to visit a physician anymore. Moreover, it is still possible that someone who eats apple everyday
could get sick and will need to visit a doctor.
It is clear from these examples of commonplace assertion that readers need to be critical about the information they read, so as not
to assume that these unfounded statements are absolute truths. Similarly, writers need restraint in presenting their prejudices and opinions
as factual statements. In other words, personal views should be presented as opinions, and not as stereotypes or even facts.

Discovery Task 1 (I’m a Critical Reader). Go over each of the following statements and write FACT if it is factual, and OPINION of it is a
personal interpretation or conclusion derived from factual evidence, and ASSERTION if it is a commonplace assertion, or a claim that is not
supported by evidence. Write your answers on a separate sheet of paper.
1. There is not a single district in Iloilo City with zero record of Covid 19 cases.
2. The surge in the number of Covid-19 cases in Iloilo can be attributed to expanded testing efforts and heightened contact tracing.
3. To ease the worsening poverty caused by the pandemic, livelihood projects for poor families are a better solution than cash subsidies.
4. The liquor ban is one of the best policies of the local government in keeping the coronavirus disease under control.
5. Tourism always solves the financial woes of every major city in the entire country.
6. Small businesses had to close as an effect of the Covid-19 pandemic, and this is why it is better to have a stable job than to start one’s
own business venture.
7. Longer quarantine period translates to lower crime rates in every city.
8. In times of global crisis, men are better leaders than women. Read the argumentative text below and answer the questions that follow.

Discovery Task 2 (Fact or Opinion?). Read the facts given, and then identify which of the succeeding statements are debatable opinions
drawn from the said facts. Copy the statements then put a check mark before the number if the statements are debatable opinions derived
from facts.
According to the report of the Inter-Agency Committee Against Trafficking (IACAT), in 2017 the Department of Social
Welfare and Development served a total of 175 victims of child pornography and in 2018 there were 230 victims served, an alarming
31 percent increase from the previous year. The Department of Justice’s Office of Cybercrime also recorded a 264.63 percent
increase in the number of reported online sexual exploitation of children (OSEC) during the quarantine.
- Rillorta, Patrick, Baguio Midland Courier (September 13, 2020)
___1. The number of children falling victim to abuse is constantly increasing over the years.
___2. The quarantine is detrimental for the children’s physical, social and mental well being.
___3. There are negligent parents and guardians in many households in the country.
___4. The cyberspace is not a safe place for children.
___5. Several agencies are working hand-in-hand in monitoring and addressing issues involving children.

Discovery Task 3 (My Two Cents’ Worth). Write a statement of opinion or assertion for each of the given topics.
1. Iloilo as a Model City
Opinion:_______________________________________________________________________________________________________
2. Distance Learning
Opinion:
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________
3. Online Selling
Opinion:
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________
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4. Corruption
Assertion: ________________________________________________________________________________________________________
5. Mental Health
Assertion: ________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Discovery Task 4 (Similar Yet Different). Differentiate an opinion from a commonplace assertion through a Venn Diagram.

Discovery Task 5 (Speaking Out). Interview one of your parents and two friends or classmates. Let them to cite an assertion or a
statement/claim that they strongly believe is true even if it is not supported by any evidence. Likewise, ask them to give a one-sentence opinion
regarding any of the following issues:
• Political corruption,
• Human Rights Violations,
• Indigenous Peoples,
• Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs),
• Typhoons and Earthquakes, Deforestation and Biodiversity Loss, Waste Management, Gender-Based Violence and
Bullying, Tourism

Passi NHS-Science, Technology, and Engineering Program STE CyberHub

311-5794 [email protected]