Writing with facts and opinions

Activity 1: write an overview of your typical day at the university. In your overview you are only allowed
to use facts. You are not to include any personal opinion

Activity 2: Write an overview of your typical day at the university that includes your opinion

Activity 3: Read over both of your responses and compare them by answering the following questions:

1. Which one was easier to write and why

2. Which one do you believe makes for a more engaging read and why?
3. What key differences stand out for you between the fact based overview and the opinion based
overview?
4. What key similarities stand out for you between the fact-based overview and the opinion based
overview?
5. How does changing from factual based writing to opinion based writing change the tone of your
writing?
6. How do you think a stranger would respond to your factual piece?
7. How do you think a stranger would respond to your opinion piece?

Try to include as much detail as you can in your responses and make sure you are conscious of proof-
reading and editing your work.

Activity 1: On Mondays I usually wake up at 7:30. I eat breakfast and get ready. I leave the dormitory at
9:00 and go to the faculty because I have exercises in EAP2 at 9:30. I finish the exercises at 11:00 o’clock
and go back to the dormitory and have lunch.
From 12:30-13:30, I have a group meeting with my four colleagues, where we discuss about the
research that we have do in EAP2. After the meeting I go back to the faculty because from 14:00-15:30 I
have a lecture on Analysis and Interpretation of Literary Texts. When finishing this lecture I have a break
of 30 minutes and from 16-17:30 I attend a lecture in EAP2, the last lecture for that day in the faculty.

Activity 2: My Mondays are usually very busy and tiring. I have to attend exercises and lectures in EAP2
and in Analysis and Interpretation of literary texts. I have to wake up early and go to the university 30
otherwise I cannot find a seat because the classrooms are usually full of students which is really
stressful. After I finish lectures in the morning I go and have lunch meet with some colleagues and then I
come back again to faculty to attend the afternoon lectures.

Activity 3:

1. The first activity was easier to write because I only had to mention the facts related to my
overview and not my opinion and feelings toward it.
2. I think the second activity because it is not so much detailed and has not so much specific
information which is sometimes difficult to remember.
3. The difference between these two overviews is that in the first overview is more convincing
because I have used numbers which refer to the timetable and arrangements that I have to
fulfil.
4. The only similarity is that I have mentioned the lectures which I have to attend for that day.
5. In the first writing I sound more formal and clear, whereas in the second writing I have
generalized the information and sound more emotional.
6. After reading my factual overview, a stranger might think that I am an organised and punctual
person and have a good memory since I remember the schedule and everything that I have to
do.
7. After reading my opinion overview, a stranger might think that I have exaggerated and have
doubts if all I said was true or not.