Statement & Assumption

Introduction

An assumption is a proposition that is taken for granted without proof; it is the unstated premise that links the given facts to the conclusion the author wants to draw. In Statement and Assumption questions, a short statement is provided and one or more assumptions are offered. Your task is to decide whether each offered assumption is implicitly required by the statement.

When solving such problems, you must derive the assumptions strictly from the information and tone of the statement itself. Do not use outside knowledge or personal opinion. Treat the author's viewpoint as the reference point; decide whether the assumption would be accepted by the author as a necessary or reasonable presupposition of the statement.

Types of Statement and Assumption

Common types of statement-assumption items encountered in competitive reasoning are listed below. Each type requires a slightly different approach when deciding whether an assumption is implicit.

• Existence / Non-existence of the subject: The assumption is usually simple and factual - it asserts whether the subject or object mentioned in the statement exists, or whether a condition is present or absent.
• Cause-Effect: The statement presents a causal relation or suggests one. Assumptions here often claim that a stated cause will (or must) lead to a stated effect; look for connective words such as "therefore", "thus", or "hence".
• Course of Action: A situation, report, observation or problem is stated and one or more recommended actions follow. Assumptions concern whether the proposed action is appropriate, feasible, or necessary in view of the statement.
• Advertisement / Notice / Appeal: The statement takes the shape of a public notice, advertisement or appeal. Assumptions typically concern the intended effect on the audience, expected compliance, or the factual basis implied by the notice.

How to Solve Question Based on Statement and Assumption Reasoning- Know all Tips and Tricks

Below are tested tips and techniques that help decide whether an assumption is implicit. Use them together with careful reading of the statement.

• Tip # 1: An assumption is the missing link in the logical structure of an argument. It connects the facts in the statement to the conclusion the author implies; it is left unsaid and therefore assumed.
• Tip # 2: Certain standard types of statements often lead to standard assumptions. For example, a statement that proposes an action usually assumes that the action is practicable and that it will address the problem stated.
• Tip # 3: Pay special attention to keywords that change scope or force. Words such as always, never, only, definitely, certainly, best, and all increase the burden on an assumption and make it harder to be implicit.
• Tip # 4: The answer "either of them is implicit" (or similar combined options) is rarely correct. Check each assumption independently against the statement before selecting combined options.
• Tip # 5: Always view the assumption from the author's perspective, not yours. Ask: would the author, based on the information in the statement, accept this assumption as necessary?
• Tip # 6: Absolutist words in an assumption (for example, only or all) reduce its likelihood of being implicit unless the statement itself uses similarly definite language.

Practical techniques to apply

• Negation test: Temporarily negate the assumption. If negating the assumption makes the statement illogical or its purpose undermined, the assumption is likely necessary (i.e., implicit).
• Scope match: Compare the scope of the assumption with the scope of the statement. An assumption broader than the statement or relying on extraneous facts is unlikely to be implicit.
• Context focus: Base your judgement only on what the statement supplies - do not introduce facts or typical scenarios not mentioned in the statement itself.
• Look for causality language: If the statement implies cause-effect, be cautious before accepting assumptions that assert inevitability; many cause-effect relations are probabilistic, not absolute.
• Prefer minimality: An implicit assumption is usually the minimal extra premise required to make the statement logically coherent; avoid assumptions that add unnecessary detail.

Solved Examples

Example 1: Statement: It is good to put the child in school at the age of 3.
Assumptions: 1. A child at the age of 3 is not ready to learn.
2. Doing so will make a child good in studies.

The statement affirms that it is good to put a child in school at age three. No information is given about whether a child at three is ready to learn; therefore Assumption 1 is not supported by the statement and is not implicit. The statement also does not guarantee that early schooling will necessarily make a child good in studies; it merely says it is "good" to put a child in school at that age. Thus Assumption 2 is also not implied as a necessary premise. Hence neither I nor II is true.

Example 2: Statement: The manufacturing companies in Tamil Nadu are facing acute power shortage.
Course of Action: 1. Government should take steps to solve the power crisis.
2. Government should shut down manufacturing companies to save power.

The statement reports an industrial power shortage. Course of Action 1 is a reasonable and implicit recommendation since solving the crisis falls within government responsibility and responds directly to the problem. Course of Action 2 proposes shutting down industry to save power; this is an extreme measure with negative economic consequences and is not implied by the statement. Therefore, only the 1st course of action is correct.

Example 3: Statement: It rained last night. The ground must have become wet.
Assumption: When it rains the ground becomes wet.

The statement asserts a typical causal relation between rain and wet ground. The assumption that rain makes the ground wet is generally true under normal conditions and is the unstated premise linking the fact (it rained) to the conclusion (ground is wet). Therefore the assumption is valid and implicit.

Example 4: Statement: The government should focus on solving the immediate problems of today rather than trying to solve the anticipated problems of the future.
Assumption: Current problems should be given more priority over the problems of the future.

The statement explicitly advocates prioritising immediate problems over anticipated future ones. The assumption that current problems should be given more priority is exactly what the statement implies. Therefore this assumption is implicit.

Example 5: Statement: "The party will start at 6 p.m. You are requested to take your seats before 6 p.m." - last sentence in an invitation card.
Assumption: The party will start as scheduled.

The request to be seated before 6 p.m. presupposes that the party will, in fact, start at 6 p.m. and that punctuality is required. Hence the assumption that the party will start as scheduled is implicit.

Final summary

When answering Statement and Assumption questions: read carefully, identify the author's intent, test each assumption independently, use the negation test where helpful, and reject assumptions that require extra facts not present in the statement. Practice with varied examples to build the habit of interpreting statements strictly from the author's perspective.