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






2. Information gained from personal experience representing a general pattern






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






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






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






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






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






8. Obscuring or denying the complexity of an issue






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






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






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






12. 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!'






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






14. 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.






15. Appeal to the reader's emotions






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






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






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






19. 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.






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






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






22. Analogy or comparison that is not logically consistent






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






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






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






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






27. Generalization: an argument that ignores all unfavorable evidence






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






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






30. 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






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






32. 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.






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






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






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






36. Information that is an interpretation of numerical data






37. Common knowledge or beliefs readers accept as true






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






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






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






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






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






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






44. Appeal to reason






45. Information based on personal interpretation of facts






46. 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'






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






48. 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?






49. Information that can be objectively proven as true






50. 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.