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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. 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?






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






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






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






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






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






7. 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.






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






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






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






11. Information based on personal interpretation of facts






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






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






14. 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'






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






16. 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.






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






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






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






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






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






22. Common knowledge or beliefs readers accept as true






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






24. Information that can be objectively proven as true






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






26. Information gained from personal experience representing a general pattern






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






28. Appeal to reason






29. Generalization: an argument that ignores all unfavorable evidence






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






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






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






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






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






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






36. 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.






37. Analogy or comparison that is not logically consistent






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






39. 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.'






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






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






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






43. Obscuring or denying the complexity of an issue






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






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






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






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






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






49. Appeal to the reader's emotions






50. 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