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






2. 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'






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






4. 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.






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






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. 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.'






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






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






12. Information gained from personal experience representing a general pattern






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






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






15. Information that is an interpretation of numerical data






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






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






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






19. Common knowledge or beliefs readers accept as true






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






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






22. 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.






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






24. Generalization: an argument that ignores all unfavorable evidence






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






26. Appeal to reason






27. Appeal to the reader's emotions






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






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






30. Information based on personal interpretation of facts






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






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






33. Appeal based on the credibility of the author






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






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






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






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






38. 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?






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






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






41. Information that can be objectively proven as true






42. 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!'






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






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






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






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






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






48. Obscuring or denying the complexity of an issue






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






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