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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. Generalization: an argument that ignores all unfavorable evidence






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






4. Common knowledge or beliefs readers accept as true






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






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






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






8. 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!'






9. Information based on personal interpretation of facts






10. Information that is an interpretation of numerical data






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






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






13. 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.'






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






15. Appeal based on the credibility of the author






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






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






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






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






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






21. Information that can be objectively proven as true






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






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






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






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






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






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






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






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






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






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






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






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






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






36. 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.






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






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






39. Appeal to the reader's emotions






40. Appeal to reason






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






42. 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?






43. Obscuring or denying the complexity of an issue






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






45. 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'






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






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






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






49. 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.






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