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






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






3. Information gained from personal experience representing a general pattern






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






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






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






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






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






9. 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.






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






11. 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.'






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






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






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






15. 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






16. Appeal to reason






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






18. Analogy or comparison that is not logically consistent






19. Common knowledge or beliefs readers accept as true






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






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






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






23. Information that is an interpretation of numerical data






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






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






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






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






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






29. Generalization: an argument that ignores all unfavorable evidence






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






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






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






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






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






35. 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!'






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






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






38. 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'






39. Obscuring or denying the complexity of an issue






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






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






42. Information that can be objectively proven as true






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. Appeal to the reader's emotions






45. 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.






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






47. 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.






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






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






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