Identifying Assumptions

Assumptions are the hidden premises of an argument — beliefs that the author takes for granted without explicitly stating them. They are the glue that holds premises and conclusions together, and they are among the most commonly tested elements in LNAT Section A. If you can reliably identify assumptions, you can answer not only assumption questions but also strengthening, weakening, and flaw questions with confidence.

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What Is an Assumption?

An assumption is an unstated belief that must be true for the argument to work. The author does not argue for the assumption — they simply take it for granted.

Formal Definition: An assumption is a claim that is not explicitly stated in the argument but is necessary for the conclusion to follow from the premises.

How Assumptions Relate to Other Components

Component	Stated?	Supported?	Necessary for the argument?
Premise	Yes — explicitly stated	Often (with evidence)	Yes
Conclusion	Yes — explicitly stated	By the premises	Yes
Assumption	No — unstated	No — taken for granted	Yes