Question:

For which of the following sentence(s) can the assigned presupposition (P) hold?

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Presuppositions are background assumptions that remain constant even when a sentence is negated.
Updated On: Dec 20, 2025
  • Who discovered the Silverback Slug in 1960?
    P: Someone discovered the Silverback Slug in 1960.
  • If she had drunk coffee this morning, she would have been more alert.
    P: She had not drunk coffee.
  • Ruchi’s parents returned to Alaska over the summer.
    P: Ruchi’s parents had been to Alaska sometime before the summer.
  • The police ordered the students to stop drinking.
    P: The students were drunk.
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The Correct Option is A, B, C

Solution and Explanation

Step 1: Evaluating option (A).
Wh-questions typically presuppose the existence of what is being asked about. Asking who discovered the Silverback Slug presupposes that someone did discover it.
Step 2: Evaluating option (B).
Counterfactual conditionals presuppose that the antecedent is false. Thus, the sentence presupposes that she had not drunk coffee.
Step 3: Evaluating option (C).
The verb “returned” presupposes a prior visit. Hence, it presupposes that Ruchi’s parents had been to Alaska before.
Step 4: Evaluating option (D).
Ordering someone to stop drinking does not presuppose that they were drunk; it only presupposes that they were drinking. Hence, the given presupposition does not hold.
Step 5: Conclusion.
Presuppositions correctly hold for options (A), (B), and (C).
Final Answer: (A), (B), and (C)
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