Literary notes about suppose (AI summary)
The word "suppose" in literature serves as a flexible tool to introduce assumptions, frame hypothetical scenarios, or soften assertions in dialogue and narrative. Authors use it to signal tentative conclusions or to invite both characters and readers to consider alternative possibilities. For instance, its use can convey a polite inference or a gentle doubt, as in remarks like "I suppose the author expects me to purchase it?" [1] or "I suppose you walked quickly and carried the child…" [2]. At the same time, it can set the stage for imaginative reasoning, as seen when a character muses, "Suppose I had married Francis…" [3] or when a condition is introduced in a scientific context [4]. Across styles and genres—from casual conversation to complex argumentation—the term underscores an exploratory, provisional stance, enriching the text with a sense of reflective uncertainty [5], [6].
- But this other book—I suppose the author expects me to purchase it?
— from Fairy Tales of Hans Christian Andersen by H. C. Andersen - I suppose you walked quickly and carried the child, and only to have to wait until half-past seven, perhaps, for madame.
— from Complete Original Short Stories of Guy De Maupassant by Guy de Maupassant - Suppose I had married Francis who was so fond of me—I couldn't have been much poorer than I am now.
— from Vanity Fair by William Makepeace Thackeray - Now suppose the incident force, in the shape of a shock from some other centre, to impinge upon these molecules.
— from The Principles of Psychology, Volume 1 (of 2) by William James - Far be it from us to suppose that the Truth can be thus false.
— from The City of God, Volume I by Bishop of Hippo Saint Augustine - Suppose for a moment that this so-called "right" exists.
— from The Social Contract & Discourses by Jean-Jacques Rousseau
