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






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






3. Analogy or comparison that is not logically consistent






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






5. Appeal to reason






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






7. Obscuring or denying the complexity of an issue






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






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






10. 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?






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






12. 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






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






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






15. 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.






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






17. Appeal based on the credibility of the author






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






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






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






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






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






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






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






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






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






27. Appeal to the reader's emotions






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






29. Information gained from personal experience representing a general pattern






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






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






32. 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.






33. Information that can be objectively proven as true






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






35. Common knowledge or beliefs readers accept as true






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






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






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






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






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






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






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






43. 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.






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






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






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






47. Generalization: an argument that ignores all unfavorable evidence






48. 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!'






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






50. Information based on personal interpretation of facts