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






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






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






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






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






6. 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.






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






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






9. Information that can be objectively proven as true






10. Information that is an interpretation of numerical data






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






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






13. 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






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






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






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






17. Appeal to the reader's emotions






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






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






20. 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.'






21. Common knowledge or beliefs readers accept as true






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






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






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






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






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






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






28. Information gained from personal experience representing a general pattern






29. 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!'






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






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






32. Appeal to reason






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






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






35. Information based on personal interpretation of facts






36. 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.






37. 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.






38. Analogy or comparison that is not logically consistent






39. Obscuring or denying the complexity of an issue






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






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






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






43. 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?






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






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. Any diversion intended to distract attention from the main issue






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






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






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






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