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






2. 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.






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






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






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






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






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






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






9. Appeal to the reader's emotions






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






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






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






13. Analogy or comparison that is not logically consistent






14. 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.






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






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






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






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






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






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






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






23. 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.'






24. 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






25. 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?






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






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






28. Information based on personal interpretation of facts






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






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






31. Information gained from personal experience representing a general pattern






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






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






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






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






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






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






38. Appeal based on the credibility of the author






39. Common knowledge or beliefs readers accept as true






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






41. Generalization: an argument that ignores all unfavorable evidence






42. 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.






43. Information that can be objectively proven as true






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






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






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






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






48. Appeal to reason






49. 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'






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