Making your arguments more credible/ENGA103/Using the work of others/Matching

Which type is which?

Identifying different types of evidence

In this section, you are going to further explore the different types of evidence. Here is a list of quotes. Decide whether each one is an example of fact, judgement, first-hand testimony, or expert testimony.

• "Many signs point to the fact that the youth of the Third World will no longer tolerate living in circumstances that give them no hope for the future. From the young boys I met in the demobilization camps in Sierra Leone to the suicide bombers of Palestine and Chechnya, to the young terrorists who fly planes into the World Trade Center and the Pentagon, we can no longer afford to ignore them. We have to take concrete steps to remove the causes of their rage, or we have to be prepared to suffer the consequences." ― Roméo Dallaire, Shake Hands with the Devil: The Failure of Humanity in Rwanda
  • Facts
    • Incorrect. Roméo Dallaire is making a judgement based on facts. He is using reasoning to make his argument that more must be done to address the conditions of young men around the world.
  • Judgement
    • Correct. Roméo Dallaire is making a judgement based on facts. He is using reasoning to make his argument that more must be done to address the conditions of young men around the world.
  • First-hand testimony
    • Incorrect. Roméo Dallaire is making a judgement based on facts. He is using reasoning to make his argument that more must be done to address the conditions of young men around the world.
  • Expert testimony
    • Incorrect. Roméo Dallaire is making a judgement based on facts. He is using reasoning to make his argument that more must be done to address the conditions of young men around the world.
• "About 60% of these participants focused their attention on her commands and regularly looked back to make sure that she was following them. The rest of the players only paid attention to the PNPC when they needed her to progress in the game or when she warned them of danger." ― Christine Daviault, Does Game Playing Experience Have an Impact on the Player-PNPC Relationship? in the Bulletin of Science, Technology & Society.
  • Facts
    • Incorrect. The quote is from a scholarly journal and is obviously based on evidence the author collected herself.
  • Judgement
    • Incorrect. The quote is from a scholarly journal and is obviously based on evidence the author collected herself.
  • First-hand testimony
    • Incorrect. The quote is from a scholarly journal and is obviously based on evidence the author collected herself.
  • Expert testimony
    • Correct. The quote is from a scholarly journal and is obviously based on evidence the author collected herself.
• "Smoking causes about 90% (or 9 out of 10) of all lung cancer deaths in men and women.1,2 More women die from lung cancer each year than from breast cancer." ― Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
  • Facts
    • Correct. The quote is based on data from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. It is purely factual evidence.
  • Judgement
    • Incorrect. The quote is based on data from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. It is purely factual evidence.
  • First-hand testimony
    • Incorrect. The quote is based on data from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. It is purely factual evidence.
  • Expert testimony
    • Incorrect. The quote is based on data from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. It is purely factual evidence.
• "A great biography should, like the close of a great drama, leave behind it a feeling of serenity. We collect into a small bunch the flowers, the few flowers, which brought sweetness into a life, and present it as an offering to an accomplished destiny. It is the dying refrain of a completed song, the final verse of a finished poem." ― French writer André Maurois.
  • Facts
    • Incorrect. As a writer, Maurois is an expert in the field of literature. As such, his argument expresses his expert testimony on the subject or biographies
  • Judgement
    • Incorrect. As a writer, Maurois is an expert in the field of literature. As such, his argument expresses his expert testimony on the subject or biographies
  • First-hand testimony
    • Incorrect. As a writer, Maurois is an expert in the field of literature. As such, his argument expresses his expert testimony on the subject or biographies
  • Expert testimony
    • Correct. As a writer, Maurois is an expert in the field of literature. As such, his argument expresses his expert testimony on the subject or biographies.
• "An earthquake has struck 25km from Rotorua. The minor 4.3 magnitude earthquake struck at 11.50am, between Kinleith and Rotorua at a depth of 158km." ― The New Zealand Herald.
  • Facts
    • Correct. The quote is based on data from GeoNet. It is purely factual evidence.
  • Judgement
    • Incorrect. The quote is based on data from GeoNet. It is purely factual evidence.
  • First-hand testimony
    • Incorrect. The quote is based on data from GeoNet. It is purely factual evidence.
  • Expert testimony
    • Incorrect. The quote is based on data from GeoNet. It is purely factual evidence.
• "The cherry blossom tree is truly a sight to behold, especially when it is in full riotous bloom." ― Homaro Cantu
  • Facts
    • Incorrect. The author's argument expresses their opinion. As such, it represents a first-hand testimony of the beauty of cherry blossoms.
  • Judgement
    • Incorrect. The author's argument expresses their opinion. As such, it represents a first-hand testimony of the beauty of cherry blossoms.
  • First-hand testimony
    • Correct. The author's argument expresses their opinion. As such, it represents a first-hand testimony of the beauty of cherry blossoms.
  • Expert testimony
    • Incorrect. The author's argument expresses their opinion. As such, it represents a first-hand testimony of the beauty of cherry blossoms.