Public Services and Procurement Canada
Symbol of the Government of Canada

Institutional Links

 

Important notice

Writing Tips has been archived and won’t be updated before it is permanently deleted.

For the most up-to-date content, please consult Writing Tips Plus, which combines content from Writing Tips and The Canadian Style. And don’t forget to update your bookmarks!

Search Canada.ca
To begin your search, go to the alphabetical index below and click on the first letter of the word you are searching for.

assume, presume

The verb assume is followed by a statement that may be true but has not been verified.

  • For the sake of argument, let us assume that our budget will be increased by 10%.
  • "Judging a book by its cover" means assuming that the contents are as interesting or as uninteresting as the book cover.

Presume is followed by what the subject believes to be true for want of proof to the contrary.

  • I presume that Kevin and Katherina will marry in the fall, as indicated in their last e-mail.
  • The director presumes that everyone will attend the symposium unless she hears otherwise.
  • Dr. Livingstone, I presume?