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






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






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






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






5. 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.'






6. Appeal based on the credibility of the author






7. Concealing the author's true intent - belief - or attitude towards an issue






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






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






10. Trying to prove one idea with another idea that is too similar to the first idea






11. Generalization: an argument that ignores all unfavorable evidence






12. 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'






13. 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.






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






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






16. 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.






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






18. Two comparable issues or ideas are judged by different criteria






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






20. Information based on personal interpretation of facts






21. Appeal to the reader's emotions






22. Information gained from personal experience representing a general pattern






23. Appeal to reason






24. Cause and Effect: A fallacy that assumes that because two variables are correlated (happen at the same time) that one must have caused the other






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






26. 'Against the man' attacking the person or group to which you are opposed rather than addressing the issue






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






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






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






30. 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.






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






32. Information that is an interpretation of numerical data






33. Obscuring or denying the complexity of an issue






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






35. 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?






36. Does the evidence prove the point being argued? Is this authority an expert on this particular topic?






37. Analogy or comparison that is not logically consistent






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






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






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






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






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






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






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






45. Common knowledge or beliefs readers accept as true






46. Reasoning by Debate: A fallacy that forces listeners to choose between two alternatives when more than two alternatives exist






47. Statements that are intentionally vague so that the audience may supply its own interpretations






48. Information that can be objectively proven as true






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






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