Test your basic knowledge |

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. Information that can be objectively proven as true






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






3. 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.






4. Generalization: an argument that ignores all unfavorable evidence






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






6. Appeal based on the credibility of the author






7. Analogy or comparison that is not logically consistent






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






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






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






11. Information gained from personal experience representing a general pattern






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






13. 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.






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






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






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






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






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






19. 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.






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






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






22. Obscuring or denying the complexity of an issue






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






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






25. Information that is an interpretation of numerical data






26. 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.'






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






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






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






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






31. 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'






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






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






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






35. Common knowledge or beliefs readers accept as true






36. Appeal to reason






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






38. Information based on personal interpretation of facts






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






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






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






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






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






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






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






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






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






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






49. 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






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