5.1.3

Facts

Test yourself

Facts

A fact is a statement that cannot be argued with – it is true and can be proven. By putting facts in your writing, you add credibility and truth to your ideas, meaning your reader trusts you more.

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Bad for your heart

  • Too much salt is bad for your heart.
    • It is a proven, scientific fact that salt causes problems for the human heart. So this is a fact and cannot be argued with.
    • A scientific fact like this adds credibility to your argument. No one can disagree with your statement because evidence has been collected to support this – it has been proven.
    • Scientific facts make you really seem to know what you are talking about, meaning that your reader is more likely to trust your advice.
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Sir Ian McKellan

  • Sir Ian McKellan played Gandalf in Peter Jackson’s Lord of the Rings films.
    • It is a proven fact that Sir Ian McKellan played Gandalf – if we put the film on, we can see him acting as Gandalf. So this statement cannot be argued with.
    • A fact like this adds credibility to your argument. No one can disagree with your statement because evidence has been collected to support this – it has been proven.
    • Facts make you really seem to know what you are talking about, meaning that your reader is more likely to trust your advice.
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Women live longer than men

  • Generally, women live longer than men.
    • According to statistics, women generally have a longer lifespan than men. This is a statistical fact, proven by birth and death records – it cannot be argued with.
    • A statistical fact like this adds credibility to your argument. No one can disagree with your statement because evidence has been collected to support this – it has been proven.
    • Statistical facts make you really seem to know what you are talking about, meaning that your reader is more likely to trust your advice.

Tips for Using Facts

A fact is a statement that cannot be argued with – it is true and can be proven. By putting facts in your writing, you add credibility and truth to your ideas, meaning your reader trusts you more.

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Make facts believable

  • Facts must be believable, even if you invent them to add to your writing.
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Don't exaggerate your facts

  • Don’t exaggerate your facts or present them in an overly-dramatic way – this makes them seem fake.
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Use facts sparingly

  • Use facts sparingly in your writing – if you just list a lot of facts, it can make your work really dull.
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Choose vocabulary carefully

  • Your choice of vocabulary is vital in creating your language devices effectively.

Jump to other topics

1Key Terms

2Language Techniques

3Paper 1: Reading

4Paper 1: Writing

5Paper 2: Reading

6Paper 2: Writing

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