Subjective vs Objective: Understanding the Key Differences for Stronger English Writing

These sentences provide factual information that can be backed up by evidence. They are not based on personal opinions or feelings, but rather on concrete data and facts. In writing, subjectivity refers to the expression of a writer’s personal opinions, feelings, beliefs, and perspectives. In objective writing, the writer must present facts and evidence to support their claims. Objective writing is not based on opinion or personal views; the writer must provide proof to support their claims.

• In other words, objective writing style produces results that can be measured, just as in science.
• Generally speaking, the word subjective means based on the personal preferences or perspectives of the person writing or speaking.
• “Favorite”, “good/bad” are qualitative words used in subjective writing.
• Of the writer and may not accurately describe the traitsThe specific parts of a person, place, or thing that distinguish it from another.

In this way, describing an observation as subjective often implies that it comes with (or is based on) personal biases. Let’s look at some other examples of objective and subjective language, using the pain reliever acetaminophen as an example. With subjective writing, your reader will feel as if someone is personally speaking to them. You can find the best example of the use of personal language in love letters.

Strategies for Achieving an Objective Tone

In philosophy, subjective specifically means relating to an object as it exists in the mind, as opposed to the thing as it exists in reality (the thing in itself). All perception relies on your mind, so your perception of a thing is ultimately subjective. Everyone’s experience of an event is subjective, because each person’s circumstances and background are unique, leading to different interpretations. I will not take as definitive proof the subjective statement of a clearly compromised person. Sources like opinion pieces and creative non-fiction tend to contain more subjective material. If the answers to any of the above questions are “yes,” you’re probably dealing with a subjective statement.

Objective writing, by definition, is the direct opposite of subjective writing. You can say that it is devoid of any emotion, opinion, or assumption and makes very little use of adjectives unless they are supported by data. Learn creative writing using subjective writing with the help of this creative writing course.

Choosing Between Subjective vs. Objective

Because it is subjective, it focuses mainly on feelings, attitudes, impressions, values, thoughts, and beliefs. Subjective writing, in contrast, focuses on the writer’s experience, personality and opinions. The personal pronoun is evident throughout; phrases such as “I think” and “in my opinion” should be used to distinguish the author’s subjective point of view from the facts.

A writing is subjective when it contains personal opinions, personal feelings and subjective views. The intent of subjective writing is to convey the writer’s idea to the reader. This means that you will tend to use more subjective language when developing your thesis and more objective language to support that thesis. How much objectivity and subjectivity you use will depend Objective vs. Subjective Writing upon the assignment, so understanding the difference will help you be more successful in your classes. When something is described as subjective, it means that it is an interpretation that has been influenced by personal feelings or emotions. For example, if you were giving your opinion on a movie or other piece of art, it would be regarded as a subjective interpretation.

For example, members of a jury are instructed to analyze a case objectively and base their conclusions only on the facts presented. However, the court system can’t avoid the fact that jury members are human beings, and every human brings their own experiences and biases to a situation. That’s why courts have a jury selection process that attempts to eliminate jurors whose personal experiences may cloud their judgment. In writing, objectivity is found in works that present facts and their verifiable evidence.

subjective and objective statements:

Look out for useful articles and resources delivered straight to your inbox. You will often see recommendations in scientific studies and publications. These bodies of work thoroughly assess an issue with the use of data to come up with the recommendations that they publish at the end. Saying that your little sister hates Math because she always gets low grades in that subject is a form of assumption. While it may be true, there is no direct indicator that solidifies your claim. She may still love Math despite failing at it because it challenges her.

The journalist strived to present the news objectively, reporting only the facts she collected without injecting subjective opinions or interpretations. Subjective writing often involves first-person pronouns (I, me, my) and emotional language, as the writer shares their thoughts and reactions openly. It can be found in various forms of writing, including personal essays, memoirs, creative fiction, and opinion pieces.

Practice Questions on Subjective and Objective

If the writing is subjective we can expect personal opinion and interpretetion of the information provided, if any. One cannot prove that staying with a single career is the biggest mistake a new worker can make. The second sentence uses objective language to state information that was gathered from research by the Bureau of Labor Statistics and that can be proven as fact. Commercials and advertisements often use subjective language in an effort to persuade consumers to purchase products. Beautiful and finest are words that evaluate the product and that express an opinion. One cannot prove that hair is beautiful or that the ingredients are the finest.

• They cannot be proven or disproven, as they are based on individual experiences and perceptions.
• In most of its common uses, objective is contrasted with subjective, often as if it’s the opposite.
• To differentiate between them, ask yourself if the statement can be proven with evidence or if it is based on personal beliefs.
• The Objective is a term used to describe a goal or a result that is measurable and achievable.
• In academia, subjective refers to research based on the researcher’s feelings or opinions.

There are no accusatory statements in objective writing, but rather it lets the facts and evidence speak for their own. Objective means verifiable information based on facts and evidence. Subjective means information or perspectives based on feelings, opinions, or emotions.

In these types of writing, the language is factual and precise, and the writer strives to present information in an unbiased and impartial way. Welcome to our article on the differences between subjective vs objective. If you’re someone who wants to improve your writing or grammar skills, understanding the distinction between these two terms is essential. In this article, we’ll explore what subjective and objective mean, provide examples of each, and discuss when to use them in your writing. Writers use objective and subjective statements basing on the need and intent of the piece. Subjective or objective indicates the kind of information we are supposed to get from reading a piece.

Describing things with the use of adjectives counts as passing judgment. Calling someone fat, skinny, sickly, or even beautiful is a form of judgment. Therefore, judgemental writings such as these are considered subjective writing. Subjective writing is not an accurate representation of what truly is, but rather an impression made by the speaker or writer. Therefore, it can be hard to prove the point or message of subjective writing. You may need to combine it with persuasive speech in order to convince your listener or reader to believe in your point of view.

In contrast, objective most commonly means not influenced by or based on a personal viewpoint—based on the analysis of an object of observation only. A personal response or an evaluation of a work of art is always subjective. I cannot prove that a sculpture is beautiful or that a poem is intensely moving; I can only describe the aspects that make the sculpture or poem seem beautiful or moving to me. If you’re not sure whether a statement is objective or subjective, here are some useful questions you can ask yourself.

You’ve probably heard of the terms subjective and objective, but do you know what they mean? They relate to how something is evaluated or perceived, but one revolves around facts, and the other around feelings. Subjective and Objective are two distinct types of information used to make decisions and judgments. This article will explain the key differences between personal and objective information; also illustrate how to use every kind of information in decision-making. Since objective and observation both begin with the letter O, you can use this letter to link the words together in your mind. Use objective when you’re talking about something—like an assessment, decision, or report—that’s unbiased and based solely on the observable or verifiable facts.

These days, facts and opinions become twisted and are blurred quite easily. It is more important than ever to be able to separate actual, verifiable fact from conjecture. With this in mind, let’s talk about objective vs. subjective statements. A big part of that is knowing the difference between the words objective and subjective.

However, because it depends on personal preferences and opinions, it’s still a subjective statement. This is used to describe an action that is not influenced by personal feelings or opinions. Using objective language in writing ensures that the information presented is based on facts and evidence, making it more credible and trustworthy. It also helps to avoid personal biases and emotions that can cloud judgment. On the other hand, when we say that something is objective, we mean that it is based on facts and evidence. Objective statements are not influenced by personal beliefs or biases.