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






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






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






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






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






6. Information gained from personal experience representing a general pattern






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






8. Appeal to reason






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






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






11. 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.






12. 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'






13. Information based on personal interpretation of facts






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






15. Appeal to the reader's emotions






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






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






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






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






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






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






22. Appeal based on the credibility of the author






23. 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.






24. Generalization: an argument that ignores all unfavorable evidence






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






26. 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?






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






28. Information that is an interpretation of numerical data






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






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






31. 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






32. Analogy or comparison that is not logically consistent






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






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






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






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






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






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






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






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






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






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






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






44. Information that can be objectively proven as true






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






46. Common knowledge or beliefs readers accept as true






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






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






49. Obscuring or denying the complexity of an issue






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