assume
part of speech
verb (assume, assumes, assumed, assuming)
meaning for a pupil
1) To assume is to think something is true without checking or having proof. tree →
2) To assume a job or responsibility is to take it on: «She assumed the role of captain.» tree →
3) To assume a look, shape or position is to take it: «The cat assumed a sleepy pose.» tree →
4) To take on a voice or manner as a disguise or pretence. tree →
sense in the lessons
In maths and science, you sometimes assume something to solve a problem («Assume the car travels at the same speed»), and you must say what you assumed. In everyday life and friendships, assuming things can cause mistakes and hurt feelings, so it is better to ask. Phrases: «I assume (that)…», «assuming that…», «don't assume», «assume responsibility».
examples
- I assume you have finished your homework. tree →
- Don't assume she's angry — ask her. tree →
- Assume each bag holds the same number of apples. tree →
- Assuming it doesn't rain, we'll have a picnic. tree →
- He assumed the bus would wait, but it left. tree →
- The vice captain assumed control when the captain was ill. tree →
- The caterpillar assumed a new shape inside its cocoon. tree →
- Never assume a dog is friendly; ask the owner first. tree →
- Assuming the Prince’s voice, she whispered in Potentilla’s ear: tree →
note
Noun: assumption («make an assumption»). Pattern: «assume (that) + sentence». In word problems, «assume» tells you a fact to use even if it is not perfectly true in real life (no wind, equal sharing). Safety: do not assume a road is clear — look both ways.
In the corpora
- "Assumed room temperature" means died; it is a dark American joke, because a dead body cools down.
- Not everyone who stares or whispers is an enemy; it is wise not to assume the worst.
- Sometimes we think we were left out on purpose when it was a mistake; asking is better than assuming the worst.
Trees and pragmatics
Every meaning and example of «assume» parsed by Mova, each sentence with its dependency tree and frames.