Question

in midnight assassin, patricia bryan and thomas wolf write, \hossack and his wife, margaret, had nine children, including five, ranging in age from thirteen to twenty - six, who were in the house at the time of the assault\. is this a fact or an opinion? how can you tell?
it is an opinion, because the authors have no way of knowing who was in the house when hossack was assaulted.
it is an opinion, because the authors are imagining the scene in order to make the events more vivid for the reader.
it is a fact, because the ages and locations of the hossack children can be verified by primary source documents or eyewitness accounts from the time of the murder.
it is a fact, because secondary sources contain only facts, never opinions.

Explanation:

To determine if the statement is a fact or opinion, we analyze each option:

• The first two options claim it's an opinion, but the statement about the number of children, their ages, and presence in the house during the assault can be verified (e.g., through primary sources like census records, eyewitness accounts from the time of the murder). So these options are incorrect.
• The fourth option is wrong because secondary sources can contain opinions (e.g., a historian's interpretation of events).
• The third option is correct: the details about the Hossack children's ages and locations can be verified by primary source documents or eyewitness accounts from the time of the murder, so it is a fact.

Answer:

C. It is a fact, because the ages and locations of the Hossack children can be verified by primary source documents or eyewitness accounts from the time of the murder.