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Writing lesson · Paragraph writing
Informational Paragraph: Use Facts, Not Opinions
Tell facts from opinions, write a topic sentence, support it with three facts and details, end with a conclusion, and know when to say according to.
The idea
An informational paragraph teaches the reader about a topic. Its job is different from an opinion paragraph: it does not try to persuade, and it does not say what the writer likes. It tells the reader things that are true.
A fact is a statement you can check in a book, with a measurement or by observing. "A beaver has a wide, flat tail." is a fact. An opinion is a belief or feeling, and people can disagree: "Beavers are adorable." Watch for judging words such as best, worst, cute, boring, scary and should. They usually signal an opinion. A statement about yourself, such as "I love beavers," is true about you, but it does not teach the reader about beavers, so leave it out.
Build the paragraph in four parts. Start with a topic sentence that names the subject and one big idea. Add three facts that support that idea, and give each fact a detail such as a number, a name, a place or a short explanation of how it works. Keep every fact on the topic, even when another true fact is interesting. Finish with a concluding sentence that sums up the idea in new words.
When a fact is specific, such as a number, a date or a record, tell the reader where it came from with according to: "According to the park guide, the trail is 4 kilometres long." You do not need according to for well-known facts like "Water boils at 100 °C at sea level," and you should not use it for your own opinion. The phrase according to me does not make an opinion into a fact.
See the difference
A first attempt
Beavers are the coolest animals. I think everyone should love them because they are so cute. They build stuff and chew things. My cousin saw one once and it was awesome. Beavers are better than otters.
Beavers are rodents that change the land around them. A beaver has four large front teeth that never stop growing, so it keeps them short by gnawing on wood. It also has a wide, flat tail that it uses to steer in the water and to slap the surface as a warning. Beavers build dams from sticks and mud, and the dams turn small streams into ponds. Together, these features help beavers live in and shape their homes.
Why this works: The weak version is made of opinions (coolest, cute, awesome, better than otters), a feeling about the writer (I think) and a story that teaches nothing. The strong version has a topic sentence that names one big idea. It gives three checkable facts, each with a detail: the teeth never stop growing and are kept short by gnawing, the tail is used for steering and a warning slap, and dams turn streams into ponds. It ends with a concluding sentence that sums up the idea in new words. The beaver facts are general, well-known facts, so no source phrase is needed.
Worked examples
Example 1 · Sort a fact from an opinion
Which is a fact? "Owls are creepy." or "Many owls hunt at night."
- Ask: can I check this in a book or by watching? Many owls hunt at night can be checked.
- Look for judging words. Creepy is a feeling, and another person might think owls are beautiful.
- Choose the statement that passes the check test and has no judging word.
"Many owls hunt at night." is a fact. "Owls are creepy." is an opinion.
Example 2 · Turn an opinion into a fact
Rewrite "Skating is the most fun winter activity" so that it gives facts.
- Find the judging words: most fun.
- Ask: what is true about skating that a reader could check or picture? You need skates, and many people skate on outdoor rinks.
- Write a statement with the checkable information and without the judgment.
People skate on frozen ponds and outdoor rinks by gliding on blades attached to boots.
Example 3 · Plan and write the paragraph
Plan a paragraph about honeybees using three facts with details.
- Topic sentence: Honeybees live and work together in a hive.
- Fact 1 with a detail: a hive has one queen, who lays the eggs. Fact 2 with a detail: worker bees collect nectar and pollen from flowers. Fact 3 with a detail: bees turn nectar into honey and store it in wax cells.
- Concluding sentence: sum up in new words, such as how each bee's job helps the whole hive.
Honeybees live and work together in a hive. Each hive has one queen, who lays the eggs. Worker bees collect nectar and pollen from flowers. They turn the nectar into honey and store it in wax cells. Every bee has a job, and together they keep the hive running.
Example 4 · Decide when to say according to
Invented source: a class fact sheet says the school garden has 18 tomato plants. Write the sentence.
- Ask: is the fact well known or from a particular source? An exact count came from the fact sheet.
- Start with according to and name the source.
- Do not add an opinion such as only or too many.
According to the class fact sheet, the school garden has 18 tomato plants.
Common mistakes
Why this fails: These words show how you feel, not what is true. Replace them with a checkable fact: instead of "Beavers are amazing," write "Beavers build dams from sticks and mud."
Why this fails: It turns a fact into your belief, and it adds your feeling when the paragraph should teach. State the fact itself.
Why this fails: A fact must be both true and on topic. A sentence about kangaroos does not belong in a paragraph about how penguins stay warm.
Why this fails: Use it for specific numbers, dates, records and claims that came from one source. Skip it for well-known facts. Use your own words and do not copy the source's sentence.
Why this fails: "Bees make honey. Bees have a queen. Bees fly." is a list. Add a detail to each fact (what they use to make honey, what the queen does, how far or how fast) to turn it into an explanation.
Why this fails: The concluding sentence should sum up your main idea in new words. A new fact belongs in the body of the paragraph.
Foundation
Foundation practice
Tell facts from opinions and spot the topic sentence.
1. Which sentence is a fact?
- Snow is more beautiful than rain.
- Water freezes at 0 °C.
- Winter is the best season.
- Ice skating is too hard.
2. Which sentence is an opinion?
- The Rocky Mountains are in western Canada.
- A week has seven days.
- Toronto is on Lake Ontario.
- Hockey is the most exciting sport.
3. Which is the best topic sentence for an informational paragraph about the water cycle?
- Water moves from the ground to the sky and back again in a cycle.
- I love rainy days.
- Rain is better than snow.
- Puddles form after it rains.
4. Which word makes this sentence an opinion? "The scariest part of the forest is the dark path."
- forest
- dark
- scariest
- path
5. A student writes the fact "Frogs are amphibians." Which choice adds a helpful detail to the fact?
- Frogs are amazing amphibians.
- Frogs are better than toads.
- Frogs are amphibians, which means they live part of their lives in water and part on land.
- Everyone loves frogs.
Practice
Practice practice
Fix opinions, choose a source phrase and write a closing sentence.
6. Read this passage. Which sentence should be removed from an informational paragraph? (1) Moose are the largest members of the deer family. (2) Male moose grow wide, flat antlers. (3) Moose are the most beautiful animals in the forest. (4) Moose eat leaves, twigs and water plants.
- Sentence 3
- Sentence 1
- Sentence 2
- Sentence 4
7. Which sentence is a fact that could replace the opinion "Wolves are scary"?
- Wolves are terrifying hunters.
- I am afraid of wolves.
- Wolves live and hunt in family groups called packs.
- Wolves are the coolest wild dogs.
8. Invented example: your class reads a town tree report that says the town has 4,000 trees. Which sentence best shares this number?
- Our town has 4,000 trees.
- I think our town has 4,000 trees.
- Our town has too many trees.
- According to the town tree report, our town has 4,000 trees.
9. Which fact does NOT need an "according to" phrase?
- A class survey found that 12 of 24 students in Room 5 have a pet. (invented)
- Water boils at 100 °C at sea level.
- The tallest tree in the park is 31 metres high. (invented)
- Most Canadians prefer winter.
10. Which concluding sentence best ends a paragraph about a beaver's teeth, tail and dams?
- I think beavers are adorable.
- Beavers are also found in many places.
- In conclusion, that is all.
- Together, a beaver's teeth, tail and dams help it live in and change its home.
Challenge
Challenge practice
Keep only facts, stay on topic and write your own.
11. Which revision keeps only facts? "Maple syrup is the yummiest food in Canada, and makers collect sap from maple trees in early spring."
- Maple syrup is yummy, so makers collect sap from maple trees.
- Maple syrup, which is delicious, comes from tree sap.
- Maple syrup is yummy and it comes from maple trees.
- Makers collect sap from maple trees in early spring to make maple syrup.
12. Invented paragraph. Which sentence does not belong? (1) Emperor penguins live in Antarctica, where winters are extremely cold. (2) They huddle in large groups and take turns standing on the outside. (3) Thick feathers and a layer of fat also keep them warm. (4) Kangaroos live in Australia and can hop quickly.
- Sentence 4
- Sentence 1
- Sentence 2
- Sentence 3
13. You learned from a library book called Northern Birds (an invented title) that common loons dive to catch fish. Which sentence introduces the fact best?
- Everyone knows that loons dive.
- According to Northern Birds, the common loon dives to catch fish.
- I heard that loons dive.
- Loons are the best divers, according to me.
14. What is the best first step before writing an informational paragraph about snowshoe hares?
- Write what you think makes hares special.
- Copy the sentences that sound best from a website.
- Collect facts from a book or website, then choose three that fit one topic.
- Pick the funniest facts, even if they are about different things.
15. Invented notes: "Polar bears are awesome. They are huge. I love their fur. They hunt seals. They live in the Arctic. They are so cute." Use only the facts to write a short informational paragraph of four to six sentences. Include a topic sentence and a concluding sentence.
Your turn to write
Choose an animal, a place or a thing you can learn about from a book, a nature guide or a website. Collect at least five facts, then choose the best three. Write one informational paragraph of five to seven sentences: a topic sentence, three facts with a detail each, and a concluding sentence. Use no opinion words. If you use a number or a record from a source, begin the sentence with According to and name the source.
Helpful sentence starters
- ___ is ... that ...
- One fact about ___ is that ...
- For example, ...
- Another important fact is that ...
- According to ___, ...
- All of these facts show that ...
Write in a notebook or a document. The model and checklist are available without signing in.
Check and improve
- My first sentence is a topic sentence that names my subject and one big idea.
- I included three facts, and each one has a detail such as a number, name, place or explanation.
- I took out opinion words such as best, cute, boring and amazing.
- I did not write I think or I love.
- Every fact is true and fits my topic.
- I used according to and named my source for any specific number or record.
- My concluding sentence sums up the main idea in new words.
This checklist is for parent-and-child self-review. No automatic writing score is assigned.
Answer key
- 1. Water freezes at 0 °C.
A fact can be checked with a measurement, a book or an observation, and you can check the freezing point of water. The other three show a feeling or judgment (more beautiful, best, too hard), and different people can disagree with them. - 2. Hockey is the most exciting sport.
Most exciting is a judgment, and a person who prefers soccer would disagree. The other sentences can be checked on a map or a calendar, so they are facts. - 3. Water moves from the ground to the sky and back again in a cycle.
It names the topic and the one big idea the paragraph will explain, using only facts. I love rainy days and Rain is better than snow are opinions. Puddles form after it rains is a fact, but it is too small to hold a whole paragraph about the cycle. - 4. scariest
Scariest tells how someone feels, and feelings differ from person to person. Forest and path are names of things, and dark can be checked with a light meter or a look, so those words alone do not make an opinion. - 5. Frogs are amphibians, which means they live part of their lives in water and part on land.
The correct choice explains what the fact means with more checkable information. The other choices add feelings or comparisons (amazing, better, everyone loves), which are opinions, not details. - 6. Sentence 3
Sentence 3 is the writer's opinion, since people will disagree about which animal is most beautiful. Sentences 1, 2 and 4 can all be checked in a nature guide, so they belong. - 7. Wolves live and hunt in family groups called packs.
This sentence tells something about wolves that can be checked. Terrifying and coolest are opinions, and I am afraid of wolves tells about the writer's feelings, not about wolves. - 8. According to the town tree report, our town has 4,000 trees.
A specific number that you did not measure yourself needs a named source, and according to tells the reader where it came from. The first choice hides the source, the second turns a fact into a guess, and the third is an opinion. - 9. Water boils at 100 °C at sea level.
This is well-known science that appears in many books, so you can state it directly. The survey result and the tree measurement are specific numbers that came from someone's counting, so they need a source. Most Canadians prefer winter is a claim about many people with no evidence. - 10. Together, a beaver's teeth, tail and dams help it live in and change its home.
A good concluding sentence sums up the main idea in new words. The first choice is an opinion, the second adds a new fact that is not explained, and the third gives the reader nothing. - 11. Makers collect sap from maple trees in early spring to make maple syrup.
The last choice drops the opinion and keeps the checkable facts. The other choices keep an opinion word (yummy, delicious), even if a fact is attached to it. - 12. Sentence 4
Sentence 4 is a true fact, but it is about kangaroos, not about how penguins stay warm. In an informational paragraph, every fact must support the topic sentence. Sentences 1 to 3 all explain the penguins' warmth. - 13. According to Northern Birds, the common loon dives to catch fish.
It names a real place the information came from, so the reader can check it. Everyone knows and I heard give no source, and according to me is just an opinion with a source label. - 14. Collect facts from a book or website, then choose three that fit one topic.
Starting with facts keeps the paragraph checkable, and choosing three that fit one topic keeps it focused. Writing what you think leads to opinions, copying is not your own writing, and unrelated funny facts leave the paragraph without a main idea. - 15. Sample answer: Polar bears are large mammals that are built for life in the Arctic. They have thick fur and a layer of fat under their skin that help keep them warm. Polar bears hunt seals, which they often wait for near breathing holes in the ice. They are also strong swimmers that can travel long distances in the water. These features help polar bears survive in one of the coldest places on Earth.
Answers can vary. A good paragraph drops the opinions (awesome, I love, so cute), starts with a topic sentence, gives at least three facts with a detail each, stays on polar bears, and ends by summing up the idea in new words.