English Competitive: How to Solve Statement and Assumption Questions

Introduction Mastering Statement and Assumption questions can fetch you 10-15 marks in competitive exams, making it a game-changer in your verbal score. With this topic, you can easily outshine your peers and secure a top rank.

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW FIRST

1. Common Prepositions: Familiarize yourself with prepositions like 'in', 'on', 'at', 'by', 'with', etc. These are crucial for understanding the relationship between statements and assumptions.
2. Subject-Verb Agreement: Ensure you know the rules for subject-verb agreement, especially for singular and plural nouns. This will help you identify the correct assumption.
3. Tense Chart: Brush up on your tense chart, focusing on the present, past, and future tenses. This will aid in understanding the context of the statements and assumptions.

CRYSTAL‑CLEAR METHOD (Step-by-Step)

1. Read the Question Carefully: Read the question and the statements provided carefully to understand what is being asked.
2. Identify the Statement: Identify the statement that is given in the question.
3. Understand the Question: Understand what the question is asking for, whether it's an assumption or a conclusion.
4. Analyze the Statement: Analyze the statement to identify the underlying assumption.
5. Check for Implications: Check if the statement implies anything else that is not directly stated.
6. Look for Red Herrings: Be cautious of red herrings that might distract you from the correct assumption.

ILLUSTRATIVE EXAMPLE Suppose the question is: "What can be inferred from the statement 'The company is planning to launch a new product in the next quarter'?"

• Read the question carefully: Understand what is being asked.
• Identify the statement: The statement is "The company is planning to launch a new product in the next quarter."
• Understand the question: The question is asking for an assumption.
• Analyze the statement: The statement implies that the company is planning to launch a new product.
• Check for implications: The statement implies that the company is preparing for the launch.
• Look for red herrings: There are no red herrings in this example.

WORKED EXAMPLES

Example 1 – Easy Question: "What can be inferred from the statement 'The government has increased the tax on luxury items'?"

• Read the question carefully: Understand what is being asked.
• Identify the statement: The statement is "The government has increased the tax on luxury items."
• Understand the question: The question is asking for an assumption.
• Analyze the statement: The statement implies that the government is trying to reduce consumption of luxury items.
• Check for implications: The statement implies that the government is trying to reduce the budget deficit.
• Look for red herrings: There are no red herrings in this example.

Tip to remember: Always look for the underlying assumption in the statement.

Example 2 – Medium Question: "What can be inferred from the statement 'The company has hired a new marketing manager'?"

• Read the question carefully: Understand what is being asked.
• Identify the statement: The statement is "The company has hired a new marketing manager."
• Understand the question: The question is asking for an assumption.
• Analyze the statement: The statement implies that the company is trying to improve its marketing efforts.
• Check for implications: The statement implies that the company is expecting an increase in sales.
• Look for red herrings: The statement might imply that the company is trying to reduce costs, but this is not the correct assumption.

Tip to remember: Be cautious of multiple possible assumptions.

Example 3 – Exam-Style Question: "What can be inferred from the statement 'The government has announced a new policy to reduce carbon emissions'?"

• Read the question carefully: Understand what is being asked.
• Identify the statement: The statement is "The government has announced a new policy to reduce carbon emissions."
• Understand the question: The question is asking for an assumption.
• Analyze the statement: The statement implies that the government is trying to reduce its carbon footprint.
• Check for implications: The statement implies that the government is trying to reduce its reliance on fossil fuels.
• Look for red herrings: The statement might imply that the government is trying to reduce its economic growth, but this is not the correct assumption.

Tip to remember: Always look for the underlying assumption in the statement.

Common Mistakes

MISTAKE → WHY IT HAPPENS → CORRECT APPROACH 1. Assuming too much: You might assume too much from the statement, which can lead to incorrect answers. Why it happens: You might get carried away with your assumptions and forget to check for implications. Correct approach: Always check for implications and look for red herrings. 2. Not reading the question carefully: You might not read the question carefully, which can lead to incorrect answers. Why it happens: You might be in a hurry or not pay attention to the question. Correct approach: Always read the question carefully and understand what is being asked. 3. Not identifying the statement: You might not identify the statement, which can lead to incorrect answers. Why it happens: You might get distracted by the question or not pay attention to the statement. Correct approach: Always identify the statement and analyze it carefully. 4. Not checking for implications: You might not check for implications, which can lead to incorrect answers. Why it happens: You might be in a hurry or not pay attention to the implications. Correct approach: Always check for implications and look for red herrings. 5. Not looking for red herrings: You might not look for red herrings, which can lead to incorrect answers. Why it happens: You might be in a hurry or not pay attention to the red herrings. Correct approach: Always look for red herrings and check for implications.

EXAM TRAPS

Trap → How to Spot it → How to Avoid it 1. Trick questions: The question might be tricking you into assuming something that is not there. How to spot it: Be cautious of questions that seem too easy or too hard. How to avoid it: Always read the question carefully and understand what is being asked. 2. Misleading statements: The statement might be misleading you into assuming something that is not true. How to spot it: Be cautious of statements that seem too good to be true or too vague. How to avoid it: Always analyze the statement carefully and check for implications. 3. Red herrings: The question might be distracting you with a red herring that is not relevant to the question. How to spot it: Be cautious of statements that seem unrelated to the question. How to avoid it: Always look for red herrings and check for implications.

TIME-SAVING SHORTCUTS

1. Eliminate obvious answers: Eliminate obvious answers that are not supported by the statement.
2. Look for key words: Look for key words like "imply," "suggest," or "infer" that indicate an assumption.
3. Check for context: Check the context of the statement to understand what is being asked.
4. Use process of elimination: Use process of elimination to eliminate incorrect answers and arrive at the correct answer.

1-Minute Recap "Alright, let's recap. To solve Statement and Assumption questions, always read the question carefully, identify the statement, understand the question, analyze the statement, check for implications, and look for red herrings. Be cautious of trick questions, misleading statements, and red herrings. Use time-saving shortcuts like eliminating obvious answers, looking for key words, checking for context, and using process of elimination. Remember, mastering this topic can fetch you 10-15 marks in competitive exams. So, practice regularly and you'll see improvement in your verbal score. Good luck!