I was talking to a friend the other night, and somewhere in the conversation we started making guesses about where the rest of our crew was at that point in the night. I started to say, “I assume…” but then I stopped myself and had a second guess moment. “Assume? Presume? Which one is it?” Obviously since we live in the age of smartphones and instant Google, I looked it up. Believe it or not, there is a slight difference, and I’m sharing it with you today.
Presume vs. Assume
Granted, the two words are basically used interchangeably in the modern English lexicon, so modern use implies that they mean the same thing. However, a little research indicates that they’re used in slightly different contexts.
Looking at the definitions of the two words shows that assume means to “suppose to be the case, without proof,” and presume means to “suppose that something is the case on the basis of probability”.
When you assume something to be the case, you have no reason to believe what you are supposing: no prior experience, no knowledge of the situation. You’re just going with your gut.
When you presume something, on the other hand, you use prior experience or the likelihood of something happening to draw a conclusion.
How Do Presume and Assume Actually Work?
For example, since I just watched The Hunger Games for the first time (the original, not the sequel) , I presumed that I would enjoy it. I had never seen the movie before (I know, I know, I’m way behind the times), but I have read the books, and I enjoyed them. Since I enjoyed the books, the presumption that I would enjoy the movie was an easy one to make.
However, I assume that the actors read the books before starting work on the film. I have no idea if Jennifer Lawrence actually read the trilogy before taking on the role of Katniss, although I’m sure a Google search could clear that up, but right now, that is a pure assumption, since I have no proof or knowledge that would lead me to think that would be the case.
In modern context, the difference between the two words is negligible, but if you’re interested in being particular about the difference, now you can appropriately use the two words in the correct context.
PRACTICE
Write out your presumptions and assumptions regarding the upcoming Thanksgiving holiday. Which dishes do you presume you will eat? What do you assume you will talk about with your friends and family?
Spend fifteen minutes writing about your presumptions and assumptions. When you’re finished, post your practice in the comments when you’re done. Happy writing!
Liz Bureman has a more-than-healthy interest in proper grammatical structure, accurate spelling, and the underappreciated semicolon. When she's not diagramming sentences and reading blogs about how terribly written the Twilight series is, she edits for the Write Practice, causes trouble in Denver, and plays guitar very slowly and poorly. You can follow her on Twitter (@epbure), where she tweets more about music of the mid-90s than writing.
