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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. 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.






2. Analogy or comparison that is not logically consistent






3. 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.'






4. 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!'






5. Common knowledge or beliefs readers accept as true






6. Information that can be objectively proven as true






7. 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.






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






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






10. Information gained from personal experience representing a general pattern






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






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






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






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






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. 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'






17. Obscuring or denying the complexity of an issue






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






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






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






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






22. Generalization: an argument that ignores all unfavorable evidence






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






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






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






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






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






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






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






30. 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.






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






32. Appeal to the reader's emotions






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






34. Information that is an interpretation of numerical data






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






36. Information based on personal interpretation of facts






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






38. 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.






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






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






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






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






43. Appeal based on the credibility of the author






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






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






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






47. Appeal to reason






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






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






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