What's the difference?

[Mous]

Here, I'll be discussing the difference between

Statements and Opinions.

Definitions of opinion on the Web:

a personal belief or judgment that is not founded on proof or certainty; "my opinion differs from yours"; "I am not of your persuasion"; "what are your thoughts on Haiti?"
a message expressing a belief about something; the expression of a belief that is held with confidence but not substantiated by positive knowledge or proof


Usually these are backed up by actions/situations in the past, that don't
necessarily PROVE the opinion correct, but support the statement.

Examples:

Dubstep sucks.

God doesn't exist.

God exists.

I think (name) is a jerk.


these aren't fact, merely an opinion.


Definitions of statement on the Web:

a message that is stated or declared; a communication (oral or written) setting forth particulars or facts etc; "according to his statement he was in London on that day"
argument: a fact or assertion offered as evidence that something is true;


These are things someone says, and can be taken as FACT. IE; When you
make a statement for a court case, that is presumed to be FACTUAL
(to the best of your knowledge), until proven guilty.

Examples:

This forum is green.

This text is black.

I am sitting down.

I am teaching a lesson in linguistics.


People tend to confuse the two, and assume that one's opinion,
is being asserted as fact. This is *not* what opinions are, they are merely
a belief, and cannot be sorted by an alternate party.


I hope you enjoyed my first linguistics tutorial,
feel free to comment!