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






2. 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.






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






4. 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.'






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






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






7. Analogy or comparison that is not logically consistent






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






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






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






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






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






13. 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'






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






15. Appeal to the reader's emotions






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






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






18. Information that can be objectively proven as true






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






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






23. Information gained from personal experience representing a general pattern






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






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






26. 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?






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






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






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






30. 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.






31. 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.






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






33. Obscuring or denying the complexity of an issue






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






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






36. Appeal to reason






37. Common knowledge or beliefs readers accept as true






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






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






40. 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






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






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






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






44. Information that is an interpretation of numerical data






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






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






47. Generalization: an argument that ignores all unfavorable evidence






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






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






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