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3.30: Fact / Factor

  • Page ID
    90461
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    Use “fact” only in reference to matters capable of being proven; do not use it in matters of subjective judgment:

    It is a fact that the output of many oil wells is a mixture of both oil and salt water.

    Use “factor” literally to describe a relationship in which one thing is an actual agent for another thing:

    Porosity and permeability are factors in the level of groundwater pollution.

    Depending on the context, generally acceptable synonyms for factor are “element,” “ingredient,” “component,” and “constituent.”


    This page titled 3.30: Fact / Factor is shared under a CC BY-NC-SA license and was authored, remixed, and/or curated by Joe Schall (John A. Dutton: e-Education Institute) .

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