In the question below, a statement is followed by two assumptions numbered I…

2023

In the question below, a statement is followed by two assumptions numbered I and II. An assumption is something supposed or taken for granted. Mark your answer as

Statement : I can take you quickly from Kanpur to Lucknow by my cab but then you must pay me double the normal charges.

Assumptions :

I. Normally, it will take more time to reach Lucknow from Kanpur.

II. People want to reach quickly but they will not pay extra money for it.

  1. A.

    if only assumption I is implicit;

  2. B.

    if either I or II is implicit;

  3. C.

    if only assumption II is implicit;

  4. D.

    if neither I nor II is implicit

Attempted by 1 students.

Show answer & explanation

Correct answer: A

Concept: An assumption is an unstated premise that the statement takes for granted. The negation test decides whether a candidate assumption is implicit: suppose it is false and check whether the statement's claim still makes sense. If negating it breaks the statement's logic, the assumption is implicit; if the statement still stands, it is not.

Application: The offer promises to take you "quickly" from Kanpur to Lucknow for double the normal charges. Negate Assumption I — suppose the normal journey does not actually take longer. Then calling this trip "quick" and charging extra for it would be meaningless, since there would be nothing for it to be quick relative to. The statement's logic breaks, so Assumption I is implicit. Now negate Assumption II — suppose people are, in fact, willing to pay extra to save time. The statement is completely unaffected, because it is a one-off offer from the driver to a single listener, not a claim about the public's general attitude toward paying more. So Assumption II is not implicit.

Cross-check: Running the test the other way confirms it: assuming the normal journey IS slower is exactly what makes the driver's "quickly" claim meaningful in the first place, while the offer stands regardless of any general claim about people's willingness to pay extra — so only Assumption I is required for the statement to hold.

  • if only assumption II is implicit — wrongly treats the statement as a claim about people's general reluctance to pay extra, but the statement is a single offer between the driver and one listener, not a claim about public sentiment.

  • if either I or II is implicit — treats the two candidate assumptions as interchangeable rather than testing each one individually with the negation test.

  • if neither I nor II is implicit — overlooks that a "quick vs normal" offer only makes sense if some background contrast is presupposed.

So only Assumption I is implicit, matching "if only assumption I is implicit."

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