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






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






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






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






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






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






7. Appeal to the reader's emotions






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






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






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






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






12. Information that is an interpretation of numerical data






13. Information that can be objectively proven as true






14. Information gained from personal experience representing a general pattern






15. Common knowledge or beliefs readers accept as true






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






17. Appeal to reason






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






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






20. Appeal based on the credibility of the author






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






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






23. 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?






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






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






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






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






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






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






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






31. 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






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






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






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






35. 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.






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






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






38. Obscuring or denying the complexity of an issue






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






40. 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!'






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






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






43. Information based on personal interpretation of facts






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






45. 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.'






46. 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'






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






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






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






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