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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. Analogy or comparison that is not logically consistent






3. Common knowledge or beliefs readers accept as true






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






5. 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'






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






7. Information gained from personal experience representing a general pattern






8. Information that can be objectively proven as true






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






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






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






12. 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.






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






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






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






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






17. 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?






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






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






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






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






22. Information based on personal interpretation of facts






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






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






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






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






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






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






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






30. 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!'






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






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






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






34. Appeal to the reader's emotions






35. 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






36. 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.'






37. Information that is an interpretation of numerical data






38. Obscuring or denying the complexity of an issue






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






40. Appeal based on the credibility of the author






41. Appeal to reason






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






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






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






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






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






47. 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.






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






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






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