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






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






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






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






5. 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?






6. 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'






7. Information that is an interpretation of numerical data






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






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






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






11. Appeal to the reader's emotions






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






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






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






15. Analogy or comparison that is not logically consistent






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






17. 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.






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






19. Common knowledge or beliefs readers accept as true






20. Information based on personal interpretation of facts






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






22. 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.






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






24. Information gained from personal experience representing a general pattern






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






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






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






28. 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.






29. Generalization: an argument that ignores all unfavorable evidence






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






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






32. Information that can be objectively proven as true






33. Appeal based on the credibility of the author






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






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






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






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






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






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






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






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






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






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






44. Appeal to reason






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






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






47. 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






48. Obscuring or denying the complexity of an issue






49. 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.'






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