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






2. Cause and Effect: 'What if' fallacy. Argues that everything would be different if one variable was different. Example: 'If the Nazis had won WWII - we'd all be speaking German!'






3. 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'






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






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






6. 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.






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






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






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






10. Appeal to the reader's emotions






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






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






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






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






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






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






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






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






19. Appeal to reason






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






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






22. 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






23. Appeal based on the credibility of the author






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






25. Obscuring or denying the complexity of an issue






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






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






28. Generalization: an argument that ignores all unfavorable evidence






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






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






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






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






33. Information that can be objectively proven as true






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






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






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






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






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






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






40. Common knowledge or beliefs readers accept as true






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






42. 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.






43. Information gained from personal experience representing a general pattern






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






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






46. 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.'






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






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






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






50. 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?