4.0 Learning Objectives

By the end of this chapter, you will be able to:

1. Identify the types of assumptions there are and why they matter.
2. Discuss the necessity of assumptions to support and validate thoughts, arguments, perceptions and ideas derived from the examination of elements of the thinking process.
3. Identify unstated ideas that shape how a writer frames an issue or selects evidence in support of a claim.
4. Examine how faulty assumptions distort the thinking process and weaken the credibility of arguments that are crafted because of the faulty perception of a matter at hand.
5. Identify faulty assumptions and revise the text to avoid errors.