Statement & Conclusion
🔒 Log in to trackStatement and assumptions
🔒 Log in to trackAn assumption is an unstated belief the speaker must hold for the statement (advice, appeal, notice, advertisement) to make sense. It is taken for granted before the statement is made.
Negation test: negate the assumption. If the statement then becomes pointless or self-defeating, the assumption is implicit. Example: 'Book your tickets early to avoid the rush' assumes there will be a rush — negate it ('there will be no rush') and the advice is pointless.
Assumptions are usually modest (some people, likely effect). A claimed assumption that the action will produce a total result (accidents will stop completely) is not needed and is not implicit.
Detailed notes
What is an assumption?
An assumption is an idea the speaker takes for granted before speaking. It is not written in the statement, but without it the statement would make no sense. When a mother says "Take your umbrella, it will rain", she assumes the umbrella will be useful and that you are going out. She never says so — she does not need to.
A conclusion comes after a statement (what follows from it). An assumption comes before it (what the speaker already believes). Keep these two apart.
The negation test
This single test solves almost every question.
- Take the assumption and put not into it.
- Read the statement again with the negated idea in mind.
- If the statement now becomes pointless, foolish or self-defeating, the assumption is implicit. If the statement still makes sense, the assumption is not implicit.
Example: Notice — "Use the stairs on Tuesday; the lift will be under repair." Assumption: the building has usable stairs. Negate it: "there are no usable stairs". Now the notice is absurd → implicit.
Where assumptions come from
| Statement type | What it usually assumes |
|---|---|
| Advice ("Do X") | X is possible for the listener, and X will help |
| Appeal / request | the listener can and may respond |
| Notice | the readers will read it and can follow it |
| Advertisement | some buyers want what the hook offers |
| Decision / policy | the plan is feasible and will have some good effect |
Assumptions that are NOT implicit
- Total-effect claims. "CCTV will completely stop signal jumping" — the authority only needs to expect some improvement. A 100% result is never required.
- Comparisons with rivals. An advert for a purifier need not assume it is the cheapest or the best; it only assumes people want safe water.
- Contradictions. An assumption that clashes with the statement ("tank cleaning will take a week" when the notice says 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.) cannot be implicit.
- Extreme words. "Nobody can...", "all people...", "only this method..." are rarely needed.
- Things that would make the statement unnecessary. "All riders already wear helmets" — if true, the helmet poster would be pointless, so the poster cannot assume it.
Worked examples
- Scheme: free cycles for girl students of Class IX to improve attendance. I. Some girls find it hard to reach school — negate: "none find it hard" → the scheme is pointless → implicit. II. Every girl will now attend daily — total effect → not implicit. Answer: only I.
- The railway will add two coaches to a train during the festival season. I. More people are likely to travel then — negate: "no more people" → extra coaches pointless → implicit. II. The train can run with two extra coaches — negate: "it cannot" → the decision is impossible → implicit. Answer: both.
Quick revision
- Assumption = unstated belief the statement depends on; it comes before the statement.
- Negation test: negate it; if the statement collapses, it is implicit.
- Advice and decisions assume feasibility and some benefit — both usually implicit.
- Reject total effects, rival comparisons, contradictions and extreme words.
- An assumption that would make the statement unnecessary is never implicit.
Types of questions asked
Every way this subtopic shows up in exams — how to recognise it, the formula or logic to use, and a solved example.
Type 1: Advice or request — the negation testvery common3 practice Q
Someone advises or requests: 'Do X', 'Please do X', 'Carry X'.
- Negate each assumption.
- If the advice becomes pointless (it would not help, or the listener cannot follow it), the assumption is implicit.
- If the advice still makes sense, or the assumption contradicts it, it is not implicit.
Why it works: advice only makes sense if it is possible and useful.
Example: Statement: 'Wear a helmet while riding,' says a traffic poster. Assumption: A helmet can reduce head injuries.
Negate: helmets do not reduce injuries → the poster is pointless. Implicit.
Type 2: Advertisement or noticecommon3 practice Q
An advert with a hook (price, speed, convenience) or a notice asking readers to do something.
- An advert assumes some buyers value its hook — implicit.
- It does not assume it beats every rival — not implicit.
- A notice assumes readers can act on it; anything contradicting the notice's own details is not implicit.
Why it works: the advert or notice would be useless without its audience responding.
Example: Advertisement: 'Weekend yoga classes for busy office-goers.' Assumptions: I. Some office-goers are free on weekends. II. Office-goers cannot do yoga on weekdays.
Negate I → nobody could attend → implicit. II is an extreme 'cannot' the advert does not need. Only I.
Type 3: Total-effect or extreme assumption (trap)common3 practice Q
One assumption says the step will work completely, for everyone, always.
- Spot the total words: completely, every, all, never again.
- A decision-maker needs only some benefit, so the total claim is not implicit.
- The modest partner ('some people may…') usually is implicit.
Why it works: nobody plans only for perfect outcomes; partial benefit is enough reason to act.
Example: Statement: CCTV cameras will be installed at junctions to reduce signal jumping. Assumption: CCTV will completely stop signal jumping.
Only some reduction is needed for the decision to make sense. Not implicit.
Type 4: Decision or policy — feasibility and purposecommon2 practice Q
A government body or company announces a plan: add coaches, open a branch, launch a scheme.
- The plan assumes a need exists (customers, travellers, a problem to solve).
- It assumes the plan can actually be carried out.
- It does not assume unrelated extra steps (closing other branches) or total success.
Why it works: a sensible authority acts only when there is a need and the step is possible.
Example: Statement: A company will open a branch in Pune to serve its growing customers there. Assumption: The company has customers in Pune.
Negate: no customers in Pune → the branch has no purpose. Implicit.
Shortcut tricks
⚡ Negation test
Put 'not' in the assumption. Does the speaker still have a reason to say what they said? If not, the assumption is implicit.
Example: Q. Notice: 'Use the stairs during the lift maintenance on Tuesday.' Assumption: The building has stairs usable by residents.
Sol. Negate: 'there are no usable stairs' — the notice becomes absurd. Implicit.
If negation kills the statement's purpose, the assumption is implicit.
Where students lose marks
Choosing assumptions that are desirable but not required.
Accepting 100%-effect assumptions (will stop completely, everyone will obey).
Confusing an assumption (before the statement) with a conclusion (after it).
Practice sets — 14 questions
Sets of 10, mixed across the question types above. Each answer comes with a step-by-step explanation.
Topic test · 10 questions
Suggested time 8 min · wrong answers go to your mistake notebook automatically.