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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. Citing an expert on one subject as expert on another






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






3. Appeal to the reader's emotions






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






5. Information gained from personal experience representing a general pattern






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






7. 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.






8. 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?






9. Information that is an interpretation of numerical data






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






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






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






13. Analogy or comparison that is not logically consistent






14. Obscuring or denying the complexity of an issue






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






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






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






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






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






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






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






22. 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.'






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






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






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






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






27. 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!'






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






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






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






31. Appeal based on the credibility of the author






32. 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.






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






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






35. Information that can be objectively proven as true






36. Appeal to reason






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






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






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






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






41. 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.






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






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






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






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






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






47. Generalization: an argument that ignores all unfavorable evidence






48. Information based on personal interpretation of facts






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






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