Level 4 — Upper Intermediate · Spoken Argument
Drill 31: Naming Your Own Hidden Assumption, Out Loud
State a short argument, then say out loud the unstated assumption it depends on — the spoken half of Lesson 31's assumption-finding skills.
Learning Objectives
By the end of this drill, you should be able to:
- State an argument's evidence and conclusion immediately, without a long planning pause
- Name the argument's hidden assumption out loud, live, in a separate sentence
- Apply the negation test in speech by saying what happens if that assumption is false
Introduction
Lesson 31 trained you to find the unwritten idea an argument secretly depends on. Finding your own hidden assumption live, while you're still speaking the argument, is a harder and more honest skill — there's no time to hide it. This drill forces the assumption out into the open, in your own voice.
Shadow the Model
Sales rose after we added self-checkout, so self-checkout increased sales. That depends on nothing else explaining the rise — and if the store also extended its hours that month, this doesn't hold up.
Listen once all the way through. Notice how "that depends on" is spoken almost like the speaker is thinking aloud — a genuine, unrehearsed pivot into naming the assumption, not a polished script.
Your Turn
Your Turn
Think of a short argument you could make about work, a habit, or a decision — evidence leading to a conclusion. When the timer starts, say the argument, then immediately say "that depends on..." and name the hidden assumption it relies on, then finish with what happens to your conclusion if that assumption turns out false.
Speak now — argument, then 'that depends on...', then the negation
Record Yourself
Record your argument and hidden assumption, then check whether you actually said what breaks if the assumption is false.
Model Answer
Show a model answer
There's no single correct answer — what matters is the shape. For example: "Turnaround times improved the same month we installed the new scheduling software, so the software must be why. That depends on nothing else changing that month — and if vessel traffic was also lower because of a seasonal lull, this conclusion doesn't hold up as cleanly." Check that you actually said the negation out loud, not just implied it.
Vocabulary in Context
depends onphraseneutral
a spoken pivot phrase for introducing the hidden assumption an argument relies on (নির্ভর করে)
Often with it depends on, largely depends on, entirely depends on
“Our forecast depends on the assumption that fuel prices stay flat.”
hold upphrasal verbneutral
to remain valid or convincing under closer examination (টিকে থাকা)
Often with hold up under scrutiny, hold up well, may not hold up
“That conclusion may not hold up if the sample was biased.”
Self-Check
Self-Check
- Did you state the argument immediately, without a long planning pause?
- Did you actually say the hidden assumption out loud, using "that depends on" or similar?
- Did you finish with what happens to the conclusion if the assumption is false?
- Did you speak directly in English, without translating from Bangla first?
Next: Speaking 32 — Counterfactual Thinking: saying a causal claim, then immediately asking out loud the counterfactual question that actually tests it.