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The short version
Label each opinion with the person who holds it before you look at any question. A lot of wrong answers give the right opinion to the wrong person. Separate what is reported as a fact from what someone thinks, and watch for words that make a view stronger or weaker than the writer meant.
How Part 4 works
Reading Part 4 is the viewpoints part. In our reading tips guide, the job is to tell facts from opinions and who holds which opinion, and the advice is to label each opinion with whose it is. The test format guide lists it as the fourth of four reading parts.
The method is still preview, locate, check. For a viewpoints text, add a margin habit: write the name beside each opinion in your head, and mark the words that signal a view, such as believes, worries and argues. The questions below use four options each. Check CELPIP's current materials for the exact screen.
Worked example: the passage
Invented text. The town, council and people are fictional.
Should the Dunmore Street car park become a weekend market?
The council of the fictional town of Calder Reach is considering turning the Dunmore Street car park into a market on Saturdays and Sundays. The car park has 120 spaces and is mostly empty at weekends, according to a council survey. Three residents gave their views at a public meeting.
Marguerite Fontaine, who runs a bakery on the street, supports the plan. She believes a market would bring more walkers past her shop, and she says the town has too few places where neighbours can meet. She admits that a market might be noisy early on Saturdays, but she thinks the benefits are larger.
Tomas Brandt, who lives above the street, is against it. He worries that stall holders arriving at six in the morning would wake residents, and he argues that the council should repair the road first. He does not oppose a market in principle and says another site could work.
Priya Nair, a bus driver, is undecided. She points out that some commuters park in the lot on weekdays only, so the plan would not affect them, but she thinks the council has not explained where weekend visitors with cars would park. She would support the market if the council added a parking area nearby.
The council will vote next month.
Four questions with answers
Try each question before you read the answer. Answer from the text only.
Question 1. Which statement is presented as a fact rather than an opinion?
- A market would bring more walkers to the street.
- The car park has 120 spaces.
- The council should repair the road first.
- The town has too few meeting places.
Answer: B. The number of spaces comes from a council survey. The other three are views held by Marguerite or Tomas.
Question 2. Who argues that the council should fix the road before anything else?
- Marguerite Fontaine
- Tomas Brandt
- Priya Nair
- The council
Answer: B. Tomas says the council should repair the road first. This is the kind of question where the right opinion is offered with the wrong name.
Question 3. What would make Priya Nair support the market?
- A different date for the vote
- A quieter start time on Saturdays
- A parking area near the market
- A new bus route
Answer: C. The last sentence about Priya states it directly: she would support the market if the council added a parking area nearby.
Question 4. Which statement best describes Tomas Brandt's position?
- He is against the market in every location.
- He is against this site and open to another.
- He supports the plan but dislikes the noise.
- He has not decided.
Answer: B. He opposes the plan but does not oppose a market in principle and says another site could work, so "every location" is too strong.
Why the right answers are right
Go back to the text and match each answer to a name and a line.
- Question 1: a fact can be checked, such as a count in a survey. Phrases like believes, worries, argues and thinks signal opinions.
- Question 2: three residents are named, but only one speaks about the road. The question tests names, not meaning.
- Question 3: option B echoes Tomas's worry about early-morning noise, so it is the right idea attached to the wrong person. Options A and D are not in the text at all.
- Question 4: "He does not oppose a market in principle" rules out option A. Option C reverses his view. Option D describes Priya.
What each question tests
Use this table after you check your answers. If you missed a question, find its skill and practise that one next.
| Question | Skill it tests | Where the evidence sits | The trap in the wrong options |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Telling a fact from an opinion | Paragraph 1, second sentence | Opinions that sound like facts |
| 2 | Matching an opinion to the right person | Tomas Brandt's paragraph | The right opinion given to someone else |
| 3 | Finding a condition attached to a view | Priya Nair's paragraph, last sentence | A concern raised by another speaker |
| 4 | Summarising a position without overstating it | Tomas Brandt's paragraph, last sentence | Options that are too strong or reversed |
Common mistakes
- Giving an opinion to the wrong speaker. Match each view to a name before you answer.
- Treating a number in the text as an opinion, or a belief as a fact.
- Choosing an option that is too strong. Never, all and every are often wrong when the text says not in principle or could.
- Assuming the undecided speaker has a hidden preference. Use only what the text says.
- Forgetting that a speaker can hold a mixed view, such as admitting a problem and still supporting the plan.
After each set, note whether you missed a name, a fact-opinion split or a strength word. For further reading practice, use the reading practice set and the Part 1 correspondence practice.
Questions
How do I tell a fact from an opinion?
A fact can be checked, such as a count or a date. An opinion uses words like believes, worries, thinks or argues, or a judgement such as too few.
What if two speakers mostly agree?
Look for the one detail that separates them, such as a condition or a different site, because the question will often ask about it.
Should I read the whole text first?
Preview the questions, label the opinions as you read, and then check each option against the specific line.
Sources (checked 26 October 2026)
Last reviewed 30 October 2026
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