Presupposition and implication

English · C2

The rule

Some words imply previous events. Resume suggests an earlier activity; stop suggests that an activity was happening. Distinguish these implications from unsupported guesses.

Example

She resumed her studies. → She had studied before.

Practice

1. He stopped working nights. This implies…

  1. He never worked nights
  2. He used to work nights
  3. He owns a company
  4. He works every night now
Answer and explanation

He used to work nights

Stopped implies the activity occurred earlier.

2. Again often signals…

  1. A first event
  2. Repetition
  3. A permanent ban
  4. Certainty about the future
Answer and explanation

Repetition

Again marks recurrence.

Advertisement