Statement: “Put a notice on the board informing all employees that they should…
2021
Statement: “Put a notice on the board informing all employees that they should arrive at the office on time,” an officer tells his assistant.
Assumptions:
All the employees come late.
Employees read such a notice on the board.
Employees will follow the instructions.
Which of the assumptions is/are implicit in the statement?
Answer: B. Only 2 and 3 — ConceptAn implicit assumption is an unstated condition that must be accepted for a statement, instruction, or proposed action to have its intended purpose.…
- A.
Only 1 and 2
- B.
Only 2 and 3
- C.
Only 1 and 3
- D.
1, 2 and 3 all are implicit
Attempted by 3 students.
Show answer & explanation
Correct answer: B
Concept
An implicit assumption is an unstated condition that must be accepted for a statement, instruction, or proposed action to have its intended purpose. The test is necessity: deny the assumption and ask whether the instruction still makes practical sense.
Application
Assumption 1 is not necessary. The officer may want timely attendance even if only some employees are late or merely as a preventive reminder; the instruction does not require every employee to be late.
Assumption 2 is necessary. A notice can communicate the instruction only if employees are expected to read notices displayed on the board.
Assumption 3 is necessary. Issuing the notice for punctuality presupposes that employees are expected to act on the instruction.
Contrast
Assumption 1 is a universal status claim. Denying it still permits the officer to address partial lateness or issue a preventive reminder, so the instruction remains meaningful.
Assumption 2 is the communication link. Denying expected notice-reading removes the board’s ability to convey the instruction to employees.
Assumption 3 is the intended-response link. Denying any expectation of compliance removes the practical purpose of issuing the punctuality instruction.
Result
Therefore, assumptions 2 and 3 are implicit.