An assumption is something that is taken for granted; or the belief that something is true without proof. Assumptions can either be stated (the author says "I assume that..") or unstated (in making his argument, the author assumes a piece of information to be true in making his conclusion).
Sometimes assumptions are warranted- it makes sense to make that assumption. For example, if I said "Jim walked to his car and Jim went home" it might be logical to assume that Jim drove him in his car. However, that is not stated- it is just something you might assume, or take for granted, based on what I said. It is most likely true, but not necessarily true based on the information given.
Author assumption and line of thought questions test your ability to understand how the author thinks and how the author is constructed their argument. You need to understand this, because you need to discover either:
- Which fact the author is taking for granted as true, without proving that fact OR
- Which fact the author assumes to be true in making his argument, but just doesn't say
The questions can be phrased in a number of different ways including:
- In making his argument, the author assumes which of the following
- In order for the author's argument to be true, which of the following must also be true
- The author's argument falls apart if which of the following facts is true
- The author takes for granted which of the following facts in making his argument
