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






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






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






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






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






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






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






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






9. Information based on personal interpretation of facts






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






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






12. Appeal based on the credibility of the author






13. Appeal to reason






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






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






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






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






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






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






20. 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?






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






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






23. 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.






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






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






26. 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






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






28. Analogy or comparison that is not logically consistent






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






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






31. Generalization: an argument that ignores all unfavorable evidence






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






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






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






35. Appeal to the reader's emotions






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






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






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






39. 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.






40. Common knowledge or beliefs readers accept as true






41. Obscuring or denying the complexity of an issue






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






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






44. 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.






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






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






47. Information that can be objectively proven as true






48. 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'






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






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