Logical Reasoning · Statements & Arguments
Statement and Assumption — Questions & Answers
Statement and assumption questions ask which unstated beliefs the speaker must be taking for granted. An assumption is implicit: the statement would not make sense without it.
- 5 solved questions
- Step-by-step AI walkthroughs
- How-to-approach tips
How to approach
Use the negation test on each assumption: imagine it is false. If the statement would then no longer make sense, the assumption is implied. Check I and II separately, then pick the matching option.
Apply the negation test to each of the five candidates. Exactly one is something the speaker must take for granted; the others are extra claims the statement doesn't need.
Test I, II and III one at a time with the negation test, then choose the option that lists exactly the implied ones.
5 solved Statement and Assumption questions
Statement: "Bring your own water bottle on the school trip." (a notice to students)
Assumptions:
I. Drinking water may not be easy to get during the trip.
II. Students have water bottles they can bring.
Which of the assumptions is implicit in the statement?Solution — answer E
Both are implied. If water were freely available, the notice would be pointless (I), and if students had no bottles, it couldn't be followed (II).
4 steps · reveal one at a timeStep 1: Analyze the Statement
The statement is a notice telling students to bring their own water bottle for a school trip. We need to think about what must be true for this instruction to be logical and effective.
Step 2: Evaluate Assumption I
Consider Assumption I: "Drinking water may not be easy to get during the trip." If water was freely and easily available, the notice would be unnecessary and pointless. Thus, the statement implicitly assumes water might be scarce.
Step 3: Evaluate Assumption II
Now consider Assumption II: "Students have water bottles they can bring." For students to follow the instruction to bring a bottle, they must possess one. If they didn't, the instruction couldn't be followed. So, this is also implied.
Step 4: The answer
So the answer is (E) Both I and II are implied. Both assumptions must be true for the notice to be logical and actionable.
Statement: "Carry an umbrella; it may rain this evening."
Which of these is an assumption implicit in the statement?Solution — answer C
The advice only makes sense if an umbrella can protect you from rain. "May rain" is not "certainly", and nothing is said about every evening, raincoats or forecasts.
4 steps · reveal one at a timeStep 1: Analyze the Statement
The statement gives advice: "Carry an umbrella." It also provides a reason for this advice: "it may rain this evening." We need to find an unstated belief that makes this advice logical.
Step 2: What is an Assumption?
An assumption is something that must be true for the statement or advice to make sense. It's not explicitly said, but it's taken for granted by the speaker when giving the advice.
Step 3: Link Advice to Reason
The advice to carry an umbrella is directly linked to the possibility of rain. For carrying an umbrella to be a useful action in response to potential rain, there must be a connection between the two.
Step 4: The Answer
So the answer is (C) An umbrella can protect you from rain. The advice to carry an umbrella only makes sense if an umbrella actually serves the purpose of protection from rain. Other options are not necessarily true or are not assumed by the statement.
Statement: The state government has decided to give free bicycles to all girl students in Class 11 in government schools.
Assumptions:
I. Many girl students find it hard to travel to school.
II. The government has the funds to provide the bicycles.
III. Girl students in private schools need no help.
Which of the assumptions are implicit in the statement?Solution — answer A
I and II only. The scheme assumes travel is a problem (I) and that it can be paid for (II). It says nothing about private-school students (III).
5 steps · reveal one at a timeStep 1: Understand the Statement
The government is giving free bicycles to Class 11 girl students in government schools. An assumption is something taken for granted when making the statement. We need to see what must be true for this scheme to make sense.
Step 2: Evaluate Assumption I
Assumption I states: 'Many girl students find it hard to travel to school.' If travel wasn't a problem, why would the government provide bicycles? The scheme's purpose implies that travel difficulty is a reason. So, I is implicit.
Step 3: Evaluate Assumption II
Assumption II states: 'The government has the funds to provide the bicycles.' Any government scheme involving spending money must assume that the funds are available. Without funds, the scheme cannot be implemented. So, II is implicit.
Step 4: Evaluate Assumption III
Assumption III states: 'Girl students in private schools need no help.' The statement focuses only on government school students. It makes no claim or implication about the needs of private school students. Therefore, III is not implicit.
Step 5: The answer
So the answer is (A) I and II only. Both the problem of travel (I) and the availability of funds (II) are necessary assumptions for the government's bicycle scheme.
Statement: The municipality has decided to plant 10,000 trees along the city's roads this year.
Assumptions:
I. There is enough space along the roads to plant the trees.
II. Planting trees will stop all road accidents.
Which assumption(s) does the statement take for granted?Solution — answer A
Only I is implied. The plan assumes there is space to plant (I); nothing links trees to stopping all accidents (II).
4 steps · reveal one at a timeStep 1: Analyze the Statement
The statement says the municipality will plant 10,000 trees along city roads. This is a plan of action. We need to identify what must be true for this plan to be considered valid or feasible by those making it.
Step 2: Evaluate Assumption I
Assumption I states: 'There is enough space along the roads to plant the trees.' For a plan to plant 10,000 trees along roads to be realistic, it must be assumed that such space exists. If there isn't space, the plan cannot proceed. Therefore, this assumption is implied.
Step 3: Evaluate Assumption II
Assumption II states: 'Planting trees will stop all road accidents.' The statement only mentions planting trees. There is no information or context provided that links tree planting to preventing, let alone stopping all, road accidents. This assumption is not implied by the statement.
Step 4: The Answer
So the answer is (A) Only I is implied. The plan to plant trees inherently assumes there is space for them, but it makes no claim about preventing accidents.
Statement: To reduce plastic waste, the college canteen will serve food only on steel plates.
Which of these does the speaker take for granted?Solution — answer A
Using steel plates cuts plastic waste only if steel plates can be washed and reused. Costs and preferences are not assumed, having no washing staff would defeat the plan, and "every college" is an overgeneralisation.
4 steps · reveal one at a timeStep 1: Understand the Goal
The statement says the canteen will use steel plates to reduce plastic waste. We need to find what the speaker assumes to be true for this plan to work.
Step 2: Analyze the Implication
If the goal is to reduce plastic waste by switching to steel plates, then the steel plates themselves must not create a new waste problem. They must be a more sustainable option.
Step 3: Identify the Core Assumption
For steel plates to reduce waste, they cannot be single-use like plastic plates. The speaker must be assuming that steel plates can be used repeatedly, which requires them to be cleaned after each use.
Step 4: The answer
So the answer is (A) Steel plates can be washed and reused. This is the fundamental assumption that makes using steel plates an effective way to reduce plastic waste. Without it, steel plates would just replace plastic plates as single-use waste.
Free to start
Get exam-ready on Statement and Assumption
Generate fresh statement and assumption practice sets in Test Studio, get step-by-step AI explanations the moment you slip, and close the gaps in Socrative Mode.
- Step-by-step AI solutions
- Fresh practice sets on demand
- Guided Socrative Mode drills