Question

Statement: 'Use our herbal shampoo for healthy and shiny hair.' - An advertisement. Assumptions: I. People want healthy and shiny hair. II. No other shampoo can make hair healthy.

• A. Only assumption I is implicit
• B. Only assumption II is implicit
• C. Both assumptions I and II are implicit
• D. Neither assumption is implicit

Hint:

Deny each assumption one at a time and check whether the advertisement would still make sense on its own without that assumption being true.

Answer 1

The Correct Option is A

Step 1: Apply the negation test: an assumption is implicit only if denying it would make the advertisement pointless or self-contradictory.
Step 2: Negate assumption I: suppose "people do NOT want healthy and shiny hair." If that were true, the advertisement's entire appeal (promising healthy, shiny hair) would attract no one, making the ad pointless.
Step 3: Since the advertisement is clearly designed to appeal to a real desire, this negation is unreasonable, so assumption I is implicit.
Step 4: Negate assumption II: suppose "other shampoos CAN also make hair healthy." If that were true, the advertisement can still reasonably promote its own product on its own merits, without needing to claim that competitors fail.
Step 5: Since the advertisement remains sensible and complete even under this negation, assumption II is not required for the statement to hold, so it is not implicit.
Step 6: Only the first negation test fails, so only assumption I is implicit.
Correct option: Only assumption I is implicit