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






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






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






4. 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.






5. 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.






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






7. 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!'






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






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






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






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






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






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






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






15. 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'






16. Information that can be objectively proven as true






17. 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.'






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






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






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






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






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






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






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






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






26. 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






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






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






29. Generalization: an argument that ignores all unfavorable evidence






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






31. Information based on personal interpretation of facts






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






33. Appeal to reason






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






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






36. Analogy or comparison that is not logically consistent






37. Information gained from personal experience representing a general pattern






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






39. Common knowledge or beliefs readers accept as true






40. Appeal to the reader's emotions






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






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






43. Appeal based on the credibility of the author






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






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






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






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






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






49. 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.






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