Q.Define acceptance. State the rules of a valid acceptance.

Once an offer is made, only a very specific kind of response actually completes it into a promise.

Section 2(b): "When the person to whom the proposal is made signifies his assent thereto, the proposal is said to be accepted. A proposal, when accepted, becomes a promise."

Rules of valid acceptance:

• Must be absolute and unqualified — any variation makes it a counter-offer, not an acceptance.
• Must be given in the mode prescribed by the offeror, or in some usual/reasonable manner if none is prescribed.
• Must be communicated to the offeror — silent mental assent alone is not acceptance.
• Must be given while the offer is open — an offer that has lapsed or been revoked cannot be accepted.
• Silence does not amount to acceptance, unless the parties have specifically agreed otherwise. …

Believing that staying silent after receiving an offer amounts to acceptance, or that a modified 'acceptance' (e.g. accepting at a lower pri …