In social conversation, we often say things like “Those were the most beautiful strawberries I’ve ever seen!” and “I could eat a truckload of them!” But when you’re writing for readers who don’t know you well, it’s important to show that you’re reliable. Readers have a sense of what the world is like. Exaggerations affect them much the way insults do: they begin to mistrust the writer. Avoid stating opinions or conclusions that are more than the facts will bear out, and when possible, present the information that’s the basis for your opinion or conclusion so that readers can evaluate it for themselves.