A statement is followed by two assumptions numbered I and II. Consider the statement and the following assumptions and decide which of the assumption is implicit in the given statement? Statement : Lalita has a large collection of books and she keeps on purchasing new books to add to her collection. Assumptions : I Lalita has read each and every book that she has purchased. II Lalita has love and passion for books.

Correct — option (2), Only II assumption is implicit.

An assumption is implicit when the statement cannot make sense without it. The check: reverse the assumption and see whether the statement still stands.

The statement: Lalita has a large collection of books, and she keeps on purchasing new books to add to her collection.

Assumption I says Lalita has read each and every book that she has purchased. Reverse it: some of her books are unread. The statement still stands, because it is about owning and buying books, and a collection can hold books not yet read. I is not implicit.

Assumption II says Lalita has love and passion for books. Reverse it: she has no love or passion for books. A large collection that she keeps choosing to add to no longer fits, since the statement describes an ongoing habit built around books. II is implicit.

So the answer is Only II assumption is implicit.

The idea to remember: an assumption that demands more than the statement needs, such as "each and every", fails the reverse test.

Why the others are wrong

• (1)
  Only I assumption is implicit — Option (1) accepts the assumption that demands more than the statement needs. The statement is about collecting and buying books; reading each and every one is not required for either.

  It also rejects assumption II, the interest in books on which a large and growing collection rests.

• (3)
  Both of the assumptions are implicit — Option (3) rightly accepts assumption II but also accepts assumption I. I is not implicit.

  Reverse it and suppose some of Lalita's books are unread: she can still have a large collection and keep buying books to add to it, so the statement stands.

• (4)
  Neither I assumption nor II assumption is implicit — Option (4) rightly rejects assumption I but also rejects assumption II. II is implicit.

  Reverse it and suppose Lalita has no love or passion for books. Then her large collection and her habit of adding to it lose the interest the statement rests on.

An assumption is an unstated premise, something a statement takes for granted. It counts as implicit only if the statement depends on it.

The negation test checks this. Reverse the assumption and read the statement again. If the statement no longer makes sense, the assumption was implicit; if it still stands, it was not.

An assumption with words such as "each and every", "all" or "only" claims a great deal, so it is implicit only if the statement needs that much.

An assumption differs from a conclusion: a conclusion follows from the statement, while an assumption is what the statement rests on.

Key facts

• An assumption is implicit when the statement cannot make sense without it.
• Negation test: reverse the assumption; if the statement still stands, the assumption was not implicit.
• A conclusion follows from a statement; an assumption is something the statement rests on.
• Owning and buying books does not require having read each one, so assumption I is not implicit.
• Continually adding to a large collection rests on an interest in books, so assumption II is implicit.

Common traps

• Accepting an "each and every" assumption. The statement is about collecting and buying, not about reading every book.
• Treating something that may go with a habit as something the habit needs. A collector may read her books, but the statement does not depend on it.
• Rejecting II for its strong wording. "Love and passion" is strong, but a large collection that keeps growing rests on that interest.

• practice — not a real PYQ

  Statement : Ramesh goes for a morning walk every day to keep himself fit. Assumptions : I. Ramesh believes that a morning walk helps to keep a person fit. II. Ramesh walks at least ten kilometres every morning. Which of the assumptions is implicit?

  • (a)Only I is implicit
  • (b)Only II is implicit
  • (c)Both I and II are implicit
  • (d)Neither I nor II is implicit
  Answer(1) — Reverse I: Ramesh believes a morning walk does nothing for fitness; walking every day to keep fit then makes no sense, so I is implicit. Reverse II: he walks less than ten kilometres; the statement still stands, so II is not implicit. Option (2) reverses them, option (3) accepts II, and option (4) rejects I.
• practice — not a real PYQ

  Statement : "Book your tickets early to avoid the last-minute rush," says a notice at a railway station. Assumptions : I. A rush for tickets can build up close to the time of travel. II. Every passenger reads all the notices at the station. Which of the assumptions is implicit?

  • (a)Only II is implicit
  • (b)Neither I nor II is implicit
  • (c)Only I is implicit
  • (d)Both I and II are implicit
  Answer(3) — Reverse I: no rush ever builds up near the time of travel; the advice to avoid it then makes no sense, so I is implicit. II demands that every passenger reads every notice, which the notice does not need, so II is not implicit. Option (1) reverses them, option (2) rejects I, and option (4) accepts II.