Which is an example of a fact rather than an opinion?

• A. The population of the town grew by 5% last year
• B. The town is the best place to live
• C. The author uses loaded language to persuade
• D. The mood of the passage is somber

Answer: (A)

The main idea here is telling apart facts from opinions. A fact is something you can verify with evidence, like data or records. The statement that the population grew by 5% last year is a factual claim because you can check official population statistics or census data to confirm the change. The other statements express judgments or interpretations: saying the town is the best place to live reflects a personal opinion or value; saying the author uses loaded language to persuade describes a rhetorical analysis of the text; and saying the mood of the passage is somber is an interpretation of tone. Since the population change can be independently verified, it stands as the factual example.