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






2. Information gained from personal experience representing a general pattern






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






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. Writer encourages readers to accept a conclusion without any support






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






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






8. Appeal to reason






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






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






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






12. Information that is an interpretation of numerical data






13. Obscuring or denying the complexity of an issue






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






15. Common knowledge or beliefs readers accept as true






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






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






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






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






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






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






22. Information that can be objectively proven as true






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






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






25. 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






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






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






28. Information based on personal interpretation of facts






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






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






31. 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.'






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






33. Appeal based on the credibility of the author






34. Generalization: an argument that ignores all unfavorable evidence






35. 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.






36. 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?






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






38. 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.






39. 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.






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






41. 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.






42. Analogy or comparison that is not logically consistent






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






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






45. 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'






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






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






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






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






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