Given below are one statement and one assumption: Statement: Ashish wrote a second letter to his father after two months when he did not receive any reply of the first letter. Assumption: (I) Ashish’s father did not receive the letter. (II) His father promptly sends replies to his letters. Which assumption is implicit on the basis of the given statement?
Only (II) is implicit
Understanding Statements and Implicit Assumptions
This question asks us to identify which of the given assumptions is implicit in the provided statement. An implicit assumption is something that is not directly stated but is understood or implied by the statement and the context.
Analyzing the Statement
The statement says:
- Ashish wrote a first letter to his father.
- After two months, he had not received a reply to the first letter.
- Because he did not receive a reply, he wrote a second letter to his father.
The key action is writing the second letter *because* the first one wasn't replied to after two months. This action is based on an expectation Ashish had.
Evaluating Assumption (I): Ashish’s father did not receive the letter.
Let's consider if this assumption is implicit. If Ashish's father did not receive the letter, that would certainly explain why no reply was sent. However, is it the *only* possible reason, or the reason Ashish *must* be assuming? Not necessarily. His father could have received the letter but was unable to reply, or chose not to reply for some other reason. Ashish's action of sending a second letter simply indicates that he is trying to get a response, perhaps because he thinks the first letter was lost *or* perhaps because he thinks his father received it but hasn't replied for some other unknown reason. The statement doesn't specify *why* Ashish thinks he didn't get a reply, only that the lack of a reply prompted him to write again. Therefore, assuming the father *did not receive* the letter is a possible explanation for the lack of reply, but it is not an assumption that is *necessarily* implicit in Ashish's action of sending a second letter after waiting two months for a reply.
Evaluating Assumption (II): His father promptly sends replies to his letters.
Now, let's consider this assumption. Ashish waited for two months and then wrote again *because* he did not get a reply. This strongly suggests that Ashish *expected* a reply within that two-month period. Why would he expect a reply and be concerned by the lack of one after two months? The most logical reason is that, based on his experience or understanding, his father typically replies to his letters, and does so in a reasonably timely manner (like within two months or less). If Ashish's father *never* replied to letters, or usually took six months to reply, Ashish wouldn't necessarily be prompted to write a second letter simply because he hadn't received a reply after only two months. The fact that the lack of a reply after two months caused Ashish to send a follow-up letter implies that he expects a reply and expects it within a certain timeframe, which means he assumes his father usually replies promptly.
Conclusion
Based on the analysis:
- Assumption (I) is a possible reason for not receiving a reply, but not a necessary assumption implicit in Ashish's action.
- Assumption (II) provides the underlying reason for Ashish's expectation of a reply and his concern when it didn't arrive within two months, leading him to write the second letter. This expectation is implicit in his behavior.
Therefore, only assumption (II) is implicit in the given statement.
| Assumption | Is it Implicit? | Reasoning |
|---|---|---|
| (I) Father did not receive the letter | No | Possible explanation for no reply, but not the only one, and not necessarily the assumption Ashish makes. |
| (II) Father promptly sends replies | Yes | Ashish's expectation of a reply and subsequent action (writing again due to lack of reply after 2 months) implies he assumes timely replies. |
Revision Table: Key Concepts in Statements & Assumptions
| Concept | Explanation | How it applies here |
|---|---|---|
| Statement | A piece of information given as true. | The scenario about Ashish writing letters and not receiving a reply. |
| Assumption | Something taken for granted or accepted as true without proof. | The two points (I) and (II) are proposed assumptions. |
| Implicit Assumption | An assumption that is not directly stated but is understood or implied by the statement or context. | We need to find which assumption must be true for the statement's action to make sense. |
Additional Information: Reasoning with Assumptions
Questions involving statements and assumptions test your ability to understand what is implied by a given statement. When analyzing assumptions, consider the following:
- Look for the underlying reason: Why would the person in the statement act or think that way? What must they believe for their action or statement to be logical?
- Test the assumption: Mentally assume the opposite of the assumption is true. If the statement still makes sense even when the opposite of the assumption is true, then the assumption is NOT implicit. If the statement only makes sense *if* the assumption is true, then the assumption IS implicit.
- Stick to the statement: Do not bring in outside knowledge or make assumptions based on general beliefs unless they are directly supported or implied by the statement itself.
In this question, if we assume the opposite of (II) is true (i.e., his father *does not* promptly send replies, perhaps never replies or takes a very long time), then Ashish waiting only two months and then writing again *because* he didn't get a reply doesn't make much sense. His action is logical *only if* he expects a timely reply.
Important Questions from Statement and Assumptions
Statement: Buy pure & natural Honey of company X, "- An advertisement."
Assumptions:
I: Artificial honey can be prepared.
II: No other company supplies pure honey.
Choose the correct option which is/are implicit in the statement.
