Which English verb means to assume?

• A. To suppose
• B. To guess
• C. To presume
• D. To assume

Answer: (D)

The action being tested is taking on or adopting something. To assume is the verb that directly expresses that idea — you can assume a role, a responsibility, or a position, or you can assume something to be true for the sake of argument. For example, “She will assume the project lead role” shows taking on duties, and “Let’s assume the worst-case scenario” shows accepting something as true for discussion. The other verbs describe related but distinct notions: suppose is more about thinking something might be true without proof, guess is about estimating with uncertainty, and presume means to take something as true based on some evidence, which is not as direct a match as simply taking on or accepting.