TEAS® Reading Study Guide
Fact, Opinion, and Text Structure
Fact vs. opinion. A fact is a statement that can be checked, proven, or verified: "The library opened in 1962." An opinion expresses a judgment, preference, or belief that can’t be proven true or false: "The library is the most beautiful building in town." The test regularly asks you to sort one from the other. The giveaway for opinions is often the language: words like best, worst, should, beautiful, terrible, ought to, and most important signal a judgment. If you can imagine a reasonable person disagreeing, it’s an opinion; if disagreement would simply be wrong, it’s a fact.
Watch the mix. Passages often weave facts and opinions together, sometimes within a single sentence. "The bridge, built in 1930, is an eyesore that should be torn down" contains a fact (built in 1930) and an opinion (eyesore, should be torn down). When a question asks which statement is a fact, look for the choice that could be verified with no judgment attached — and be wary of a true-sounding sentence that actually rests on a value word.
Bias and stereotype. Bias is a one-sided slant, shown through loaded word choices and by presenting only one view of an issue. An author who describes one candidate’s supporters as "thoughtful citizens" and the other’s as "an angry mob" is revealing bias through word choice. A stereotype is a broad, oversimplified assumption about a whole group. Recognizing bias means noticing when a writer’s language is doing persuasive work under the surface, tilting you toward a conclusion without argument.
Text structure. Every passage is organized in some pattern, and recognizing it helps you follow the author’s logic and predict what comes next. The common structures are:
- Sequence / chronological — events or steps in time order. Signals: first, next, then, finally, before, after.
- Cause and effect — one thing produces another. Signals: because, since, as a result, therefore, leads to.
- Compare and contrast — similarities and differences. Signals: like, unlike, both, however, on the other hand, whereas.
- Problem and solution — a problem is presented, then a fix. Signals: problem, issue, solution, resolve, answer.
- Description — details about a topic, no particular order. Signals: characteristics, for example, such as.
The method: for fact vs. opinion, test whether a statement could be verified or whether it rests on a judgment word. For bias, watch for loaded, one-sided language. For structure, find the signal words and ask how the passage is organized as a whole.
Worked examples:
Fact: "The company was founded in 1998." Opinion: "The company makes the finest coffee in the state." The first can be checked; the second rests on "finest," a judgment.
"Because the factory closed, hundreds of families lost their income, and the town’s shops soon followed." The signal "because" and the chain of results mark this as a cause-and-effect structure.