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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. Appeal to reason






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






3. 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.'






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






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






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






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






8. Information based on personal interpretation of facts






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






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






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






12. 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?






13. Information that can be objectively proven as true






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






15. Appeal to the reader's emotions






16. 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.






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






18. Common knowledge or beliefs readers accept as true






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






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






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






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






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






24. Obscuring or denying the complexity of an issue






25. 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!'






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






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






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






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






31. Information that is an interpretation of numerical data






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






33. Information gained from personal experience representing a general pattern






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






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






36. Analogy or comparison that is not logically consistent






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






38. 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.






39. Generalization: an argument that ignores all unfavorable evidence






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






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






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






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






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






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






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






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






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. Any diversion intended to distract attention from the main issue






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