The owner of a shop tells you "our customers love us". Until evidence is found, the statement is:

Answer

An opinion

Options - A. A fact - B. An opinion - C. An inference - D. A criterion Why - A. A fact is verifiable. Nothing in the sentence can be checked — no survey, no retention figure. - B. Correct — it is a judgement by an interested party. It can become evidence when a survey or a retention rate supports it. - C. An inference draws a conclusion from stated facts. No facts are offered here; the claim stands alone. - D. A criterion is a standard for scoring alternatives. This is a claim about the present, not a standard.

Olds ch 13; Van Cleave 1.11, 3.7–3.8; Business Ethics (CNX v3.1) ch 15; concept map E07, E08, E09