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SAT Essay Logical Fallacies

Subjects : sat, english, writing-skills
Instructions:
  • Answer 50 questions in 15 minutes.
  • If you are not ready to take this test, you can study here.
  • Match each statement with the correct term.
  • Don't refresh. All questions and answers are randomly picked and ordered every time you load a test.

This is a study tool. The 3 wrong answers for each question are randomly chosen from answers to other questions. So, you might find at times the answers obvious, but you will see it re-enforces your understanding as you take the test each time.
1. Two comparable issues or ideas are judged by different criteria






2. Logical reasoning that establishes specific facts or contentions leading to a general conclusion






3. Generalization: Assumes that members of a group must have a characteristic because one or more of its members has that characteristic.






4. Any diversion intended to distract attention from the main issue






5. Cause and Effect: claim than an event with more than one cause has only one cause






6. Information that can be objectively proven as true






7. Information based on personal interpretation of facts






8. Condemning an argument because of where it began - how it began - or who began it






9. Fallacy that asserts that given two positions - there exists a compromise between them which must be correct.






10. Is there a reasonable connection between the cause and the effect? Is that connection explained? Are there other possible causes that have not been considered?






11. 'After this therefore because of this' implying that because on event follows another - the first caused the second






12. Ambiguity or multiplicity of interpretations of a repeated word or phrase






13. How similar or how different are the cases being compared? How many point of comparison is the arguer using?






14. Appeal to reason






15. Appeal based on the credibility of the author






16. False transitive property - you assume that just because two things share a characteristic - all of their characteristics are shared: - 'penguins are black and white - old tv shows are black and white - therefore penguins are old tv shows'






17. Writer encourages readers to accept a conclusion without any support






18. Reasoning in which a conclusion is reached by stating a general principle and then applying that principle to a specific case






19. 'To the people' appeal to the prejudices of the audience - or claiming that (or a majority) supports your opinion






20. Information that is an interpretation of numerical data






21. Everybody knows fallacy. Asserts that some idea is common knowledge - so it must be true.






22. 'it does not follow' drawing a conclusion or making a transition that is not a logical result of the facts






23. The use by a speaker of coded language that appears to mean one thing to the general population but has a different (and negative) meaning for a targeted subgroup of the audience.






24. Drawing conclusions based on insufficient or unrepresentative evidence; using all instances when only some apply






25. Have all reasonable alternatives been considered/eliminated? Does this author attack the other views in a fair way?






26. 'To the authority' appeal based on the authority of a source






27. Reasoning by Debate: In an argument - this is an attack on the person rather than on the opponent's ideas. It comes from the Latin meaning 'against the man.'






28. Reasoning by Proof: an argument that because someone worked hard at something - their conclusions must be right






29. Prejudging an individual based on ideas one has about the group the individual belongs to






30. Reasoning by Proof: A fallacy in which a speaker or writer seeks to persuade not by giving evidence but by appealing to the respect people have for a person or institution.






31. Information the writer asserts as being the result of an event






32. Common knowledge or beliefs readers accept as true






33. Stating the only two interpretations of actions are alternatives - ignoring any compromise or moderate course






34. Cause and Effect: Assuming that an incident that precedes another is the cause of the second incident






35. Information gained from personal experience representing a general pattern






36. A fallacy that assumes that taking a first step will lead to subsequent steps that cannot be prevented






37. Obscuring or denying the complexity of an issue






38. When a writer uses the same term in two different senses in an argument. i.e. People choose what laws they obey. The Law of Gravity is a law. I choose to disobey the law of gravity.






39. Claiming that one step in the wrong direction will lead to another - potentially disastrous consequence






40. Appeal to the the pity - sympathy or 'misery' of the audience






41. Reasoning by Debate: When a writer argues against a claim that nobody actually holds or is universally considered weak. Setting up a straw man diverts attention from the real issues.






42. Generalization: drawing conclusions based on insufficient or unrepresentative evidence






43. Generalization: Assumes that an individual must have a characteristic because the group to which he or she belongs supposedly has that characteristic






44. Reasoning by Proof: absence of evidence is not evidence; he didn't say that... so it must be false






45. Generalization: an argument that ignores all unfavorable evidence






46. Introducing an irrelevant point to divert readers' attention from the main issue being discussed






47. Citing an expert on one subject as expert on another






48. Reasoning by Proof: the evidence offered does not really support the claim. Non Sequitur (It does not follow)






49. How large is the sample size? How representative is the sample?






50. Analogy or comparison that is not logically consistent