Quote:
Originally Posted by GinaS
That said, the two are virtually interchangeable, so whichever one comes out of your mouth will be fine.  |
This, but only because the vast majority of people use them wrongly!
Just to be technical- Assume= to suppose
without any proof, mostly because it seems reasonable. 'I met him at a Japanese event so I just assumed he was Japanese'. It's second meaning is to to take something on, such as 'the military has assumed control of the region'.
Presume means to suppose based on probability, eg, when the boat was found wrecked and empty, it was presumed the sailor had drowned. It's quite likely. It's other meaning is to take something for granted. It's presumed that most cyclists have two legs.