Suppose you're telling your aunt about a mountain bike trip you took with a friend. At first, you talk about where you went, what the trail was like, and what you did. But then you start explaining what an excellent mountain biker you are.
Like many conversations, part of this discussion is based on facts, and the rest of it is your opinion. These two types of writing (and speaking) are called objective and subjective. Objective writing is based on facts―information that can be verified, or proven. Subjective writing includes the writer's feelings, beliefs, and opinions.
Sometimes, it can be hard to tell a fact from an opinion. For example, suppose a mountain biker describes a trail as very difficult. This is a subjective statement because it is one person's opinion. A more experienced mountain biker might think that the trail is easy.
Here is a more objective statement: The trail includes rough, rocky terrain with a number of steep inclines and cliffs. The details in this statement are factual―you can easily prove that they're true.
Can you tell the difference between objective and subjective texts? Read each passage carefully and decide if it is based on facts or on someone's opinions or feelings. Then, click the passage to read an explanation and check your answer.
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You can look up facts about this hurricane and see that they are true, so these are objective statements. |
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While it's a fact that summers in Central Texas are often hot and dry, some people may not agree with the statements about raising gardens during fall and spring. Therefore, these sentences are subjective―they are someone's opinion. You can figure this out by asking yourself whether someone else might see this topic differently. |
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The words "I think" give you a clue that this passage represents someone's opinion. It is subjective writing about one person's beliefs. |
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These statements are an example of objective writing because they can be verified in reliable sources. |
First-person point of view works well when writers want to express their personal thoughts and feelings―when they want to write subjectively about a topic. They can simply state what they believe, think, and feel using phrases like I think, I feel, it's my opinion that, and I believe. When writers want to be clear that a text includes only facts―not their opinions about a topic, they generally use the third-person point of view. They refer to people by name or by personal pronouns such as he, she, and they. In most objective texts, the writers do not refer to themselves at all.
Question
Can writers use both objective and subjective writing within the same text?
