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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: '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!'






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






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






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






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






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






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






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






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






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






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






12. Analogy or comparison that is not logically consistent






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






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






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






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






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






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






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






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






21. Common knowledge or beliefs readers accept as true






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






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






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






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






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






28. Information that can be objectively proven as true






29. Appeal to reason






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






31. Obscuring or denying the complexity of an issue






32. 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?






33. Generalization: an argument that ignores all unfavorable evidence






34. 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'






35. Information based on personal interpretation of facts






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






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






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






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






40. 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.






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






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






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






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






45. 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.'






46. Appeal based on the credibility of the author






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






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






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






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