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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. 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.'






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






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






4. Information based on personal interpretation of facts






5. Analogy or comparison that is not logically consistent






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






7. 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.






8. Obscuring or denying the complexity of an issue






9. 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.






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






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






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






13. Appeal based on the credibility of the author






14. 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






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






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






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






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






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






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






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






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






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






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






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






26. 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.






27. Information that is an interpretation of numerical data






28. 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.






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






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






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






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






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






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






35. Appeal to reason






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






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






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






39. Generalization: an argument that ignores all unfavorable evidence






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






41. Common knowledge or beliefs readers accept as true






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






43. Information that can be objectively proven as true






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






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






46. 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!'






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






48. Appeal to the reader's emotions






49. 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?






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