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






2. Information that can be objectively proven as true






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






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






5. Analogy or comparison that is not logically consistent






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






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






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






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






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






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






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






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






14. Appeal based on the credibility of the author






15. Appeal to the reader's emotions






16. Common knowledge or beliefs readers accept as true






17. 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.






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






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






20. 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.'






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






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






23. 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'






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






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






26. 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!'






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






28. Appeal to reason






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






30. Obscuring or denying the complexity of an issue






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






32. 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






33. Information gained from personal experience representing a general pattern






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






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






36. Information that is an interpretation of numerical data






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






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






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






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






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






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






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






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






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






46. Information based on personal interpretation of facts






47. Generalization: an argument that ignores all unfavorable evidence






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






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