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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. Citing an expert on one subject as expert on another






2. Information gained from personal experience representing a general pattern






3. 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.






4. Obscuring or denying the complexity of an issue






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






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






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






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






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






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






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






12. Information that is an interpretation of numerical data






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






14. Appeal to the reader's emotions






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






16. Analogy or comparison that is not logically consistent






17. Information that can be objectively proven as true






18. 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'






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






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






21. 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






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






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






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






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






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






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






28. Appeal based on the credibility of the author






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






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






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






32. 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?






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






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






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






38. 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!'






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






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






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






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






43. Common knowledge or beliefs readers accept as true






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






45. 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.






46. Information based on personal interpretation of facts






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






48. 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.






49. Generalization: an argument that ignores all unfavorable evidence






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