Assume v. Presume

Black Hole said:
I've been having a long-running discussion with my sub-editor regarding observations of the word 'assume' (or derivatives), where (classically) the word 'presume' should be preferred.

What's the difference? Ignoring complication: 'assume' is something you take upon yourself (assume a role or a position), and 'presume' is to make a guess prior to confirming data ("Dr Livingstone I presume"). How to tell when 'presume' would be appropriate rather than 'assume'? If you can rearrange the sentence to begin 'Presumably' (since there is no word 'Assumably'), don't use 'assume'.

However, it has been noted that 'assume' occurs very often where 'presume' would be indicated by the above rule, in common modern usage, across all media. The reason for this slippage is that every use of 'assume' instead of 'presume' reinforces itself in the general subconcious, until it becomes the norm.

So when did this slippage begin? I was reading something this morning which shook me:

"...and the mathematical investigations given in special articles marked with an asterisk (*). This plan has been followed throughout the book, so the general reader can evade all the mathematical investigations, but it must not be assumed that articles so marked are difficult to understand..."
Foreword to the Admiralty Manual of Tides, 1941 (my underlining)

Assume/Presume thus joins my catalogue in the same category as Curious/Inquisitive
Click to expand...

Black Hole said:
I've been having a long-running discussion with my sub-editor regarding observations of the word 'assume' (or derivatives), where (classically) the word 'presume' should be preferred.

What's the difference? Ignoring complication: 'assume' is something you take upon yourself (assume a role or a position), and 'presume' is to make a guess prior to confirming data ("Dr Livingstone I presume"). How to tell when 'presume' would be appropriate rather than 'assume'? If you can rearrange the sentence to begin 'Presumably' (since there is no word 'Assumably'), don't use 'assume'.

However, it has been noted that 'assume' occurs very often where 'presume' would be indicated by the above rule, in common modern usage, across all media. The reason for this slippage is that every use of 'assume' instead of 'presume' reinforces itself in the general subconcious, until it becomes the norm.

So when did this slippage begin? I was reading something this morning which shook me:

"...and the mathematical investigations given in special articles marked with an asterisk (*). This plan has been followed throughout the book, so the general reader can evade all the mathematical investigations, but it must not be assumed that articles so marked are difficult to understand..."
Foreword to the Admiralty Manual of Tides, 1941 (my underlining)

Assume/Presume thus joins my catalogue in the same category as Curious/Inquisitive.
Click to expand...
To assume something is to consider it as a true event, but without the evidence to back it up, where as to presume something is to consider it, say true, but importantly that it is probably true, the key word is probably, i.e, it is true based on probability.
 
Seen on another forum: "I tent to..."

I presume the 'author' (I use the term with caution) meant "I tend to". Genuine typo, or a case where the younger generation are not given to reading books any more and therefore are not exposed to properly vetted written representations of the English language? I vote the latter (but that's just my confirmation bias speaking, you understand)!
 
Could be the "author" was relying on auto-correct and didn't proof-read their contribution. We've all had that problem. (Just being charitable. Your explanation is probably correct.)
 
Maybe tent is one of those 'new' verbs. Like product, which I saw someone use a few days ago - I'll dig it out...

"...waiting for the development team to product the MOP for the change so it can be submitted to CAB..."
Er yes, quite.
 
Perhaps tent is a continuation of the mispronunciation of words which then leads to confusion with spelling. How long before it's furver (further), teef (teeth) etc?
 
Which? And why?
it will automatically be deleted
it will be automatically deleted
it will be deleted automatically
I'm tending to either 2 or 3, but not 1.
 
"Automatically" is an adverb, so 3 is correct. 1 & 2 are examples of split infinitives. "Delete" is the verb, "will be" makes it future tense (future imperfect?), so "it" is the subject, "will be deleted" is the tense and verb. I might have that all to cock, but you get the gist.

That is not to say I deprecate poetic license.
 
Last edited:
Apart from them not being infinitives, they do have that 'split' feel about them. My preference was for 3.
 
prpr said:
Apart from them not being infinitives
Click to expand...
Fair enough
prpr said:
they do have that 'split' feel about them
Click to expand...
Pretty sure an adverb isn't supposed to go anywhere other than after the verb, even if the verb is compound. In the cases you've cited, the adverb is getting between elements of the compound verb, so it's split even if the verb is not infinitive.
 
I was taken aback by this:

1669371875785.jpeg

"Performant"??? That's a ew one on me, but Oxford says it has been in use since the '70s:

1669372079999.png

Clearly the noun form has been replaced by "performer", but we still have "celebrant".
 
That’s the least of your worries with the BBC Weather App(lication). It often shows sunshine for my area when it’s p ing down, and vice vera. Mind you, the weather application that came with this old iPhone is just as accurate.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top