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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: claim than an event with more than one cause has only one cause






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






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






4. 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!'






5. Appeal to reason






6. 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.






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






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. Common knowledge or beliefs readers accept as true






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






11. Information gained from personal experience representing a general pattern






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






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






14. 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.






15. 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






16. Appeal based on the credibility of the author






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






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






19. Obscuring or denying the complexity of an issue






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






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






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






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






24. 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'






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






26. Generalization: an argument that ignores all unfavorable evidence






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






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






29. 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.






30. Analogy or comparison that is not logically consistent






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






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






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






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






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






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






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






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






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






40. Information that is an interpretation of numerical data






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






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






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






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






45. Information that can be objectively proven as true






46. Information based on personal interpretation of facts






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






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






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






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