It might seem simple at first; when people start sentences with “I think...” or “I feel...”, they are stating their perspective on things. Facts are easier to spot because they sound scientific (“The New England Journal of Medicine reports that cancer is on the rise”) or use measurements and numbers (“The hole in the ozone layer has increased in size 58% in the last 5 years”).

It’s just not that simple.

Facts are easy to read, but harder to reveal. Reading a fact correctly, and asking the right questions, is central to critical thinking. Together we can explore how facts are stated and we will see how easily they can be misread.

Some interesting cues;

• I think...
• In my opinion...
• He feels...
• He seems to believe...
• The Institute’s position is...
• It has been observed that...
• The court has concluded that...