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






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






3. Appeal based on the credibility of the author






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






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






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






7. 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?






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






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






10. Analogy or comparison that is not logically consistent






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






12. Common knowledge or beliefs readers accept as true






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






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






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






16. Appeal to reason






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






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






19. Information gained from personal experience representing a general pattern






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






21. 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!'






22. 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.






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






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






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






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






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






28. 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.






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






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






31. Generalization: an argument that ignores all unfavorable evidence






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






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






34. Information based on personal interpretation of facts






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






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






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






38. 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.






39. Obscuring or denying the complexity of an issue






40. Appeal to the reader's emotions






41. 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






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






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






44. 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.






45. Information that can be objectively proven as true






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






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






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






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






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