Facts, Inferences and Judgments | Verbal Ability (VA) & Reading Comprehension (RC) - CAT PDF Download

When crafting press releases or human services reports, adhering to factual accuracy is paramount, echoing the oft-quoted advice from movies. Despite being distinct document types, both emphasize the importance of factual integrity. Hence, it's essential for all involved to discern between facts, inferences, and judgments.

Facts constitute observable and confirmable data devoid of subjective opinions or values. They are acquired through sensory experiences such as sight, smell, and hearing. Importantly, facts exist independently of the observer's interpretation, representing objective reality rather than the observer's perception of it. The following statements illustrate this clarity by describing reality without embellishment or subjective interpretation: 

• There is a ditch on both sides of Route 22 South.
• I planted a Norway maple last fall.
• Ames sells notebook paper at 89 cents for 100 sheets.

Notice it doesn’t say the ditch will help alleviate flooding along the roads, or the maple will make good shade trees, or the sale is excellent. Those are opinions that have to be proven before they become facts: what if the ditch doesn’t work, or what it if was built for aesthetics or traffic safety and not for water control. The fact is that it is there.

Inferences are based on analysis. They are statements of the unknown based on the known. They are derived from reason, in other words figured out based on our past experience. They exist within the observer and therefore can be different based on the observer’s experience. Here are some examples of inferences based on facts:

• Ann swore, pounded on the table and threw the phone book across the room. INF: Ann is angry.
• Tom kept to himself at the party, danced only when a girl asked him. INF: Tom is scared of girls.

Maybe Ann just won the lottery and cannot control her emotions. Perhaps Tom doesn’t fee comfortable about his dancing ability, or he is shy. That doesn’t mean he doesn’t like girls. Inferences need to be corroborated. In other words, if we asked Tom if he didn’t like girls and he said yes, that would become a fact. Or if we knew more facts about why Ann was acting this way, we could prove the inference to be a fact.

Judgments are subjective observations. I don’t like to use the word opinion when describing judgments because inferences are often opinions as well. But judgments are statements showing approval or disapproval. They are derived from our values and reveal our feelings and attitudes toward something. Here are some examples of judgments made from facts:

• The car went 60,000 miles with only oil changes. JUDGMENT: It was a wonderful car.
• Senator Brown was the only one who voted against the Railroad Bill. JUDGMENT: The senator was courageous/stubborn.
• Jerry was convicted of theft: JUDGMENT: Jerry is a thief.

Most cars these days should be able to go that far without extensive repairs. It’s only an average car, many would say. And you can see how judgments are based on the observers feelings: it creates debate in Senator Brown’s world. Jerry is the most controversial statement here, however. Some people might say that if he is convicted, it becomes a fact, but what if he stole something out of what he deemed necessity and was caught as a first-time offender. The word “thief” connotes a long-time experience with stealing property.

Example: Consider the following statements and identify the facts, judgements and inferences among them.

1. The minister said that the Swacch Bharat Abhiyaan is a wonderful initiative.
2. The schools of the city have adopted the project and made plans to launch a number of programs.
3. With various segments of the society contributing towards it, Swacch Bharat Abhiyaan is going to be a success.
4. The Swacch Bharat Abhiyaan will go a long way towards a cleaner India.

Sol:

• Statement 1: The minister said that the Swacch Bharat Abhiyaan is a wonderful initiative. In this sentence the key word is - Minister said, which means we are quoting someone's opinion, thereby making it verifiable. Since it can be verified hence it is a FACT.
• Statement 2: The schools of the city have adopted the project and made plans to launch a number of programs.
• This entire statement can be verified and hence is a FACT.
• Statement 3: With various segments of the society contributing towards it, Swacch Bharat Abhiyaan is going to be a success.
  Judgments show the approval and disapproval, and this sentence is showing approval for Swacch Bharat Abhiyaan by use of the word success. But look at the first part of the sentence- with various segments of the society contributing towards it; this is the reason for success. Thus, this is an unknown conclusion based on known facts and hence it is an INFERENCE.
• Statement 4: The Swacch Bharat Abhiyaan will go a long way towards a cleaner India. This statement gives an approval but does not provide a reason for it hence it is a JUDGEMENT.