Test your basic knowledge |

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. 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.






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






3. Generalization: an argument that ignores all unfavorable evidence






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






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






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






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






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






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






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






11. Appeal to the reader's emotions






12. Appeal based on the credibility of the author






13. Analogy or comparison that is not logically consistent






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






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






16. 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






17. Information that can be objectively proven as true






18. Information that is an interpretation of numerical data






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






20. Common knowledge or beliefs readers accept as true






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






22. 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.






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






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






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






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






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






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






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






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






32. Information gained from personal experience representing a general pattern






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






34. Appeal to reason






35. 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.'






36. Information based on personal interpretation of facts






37. Obscuring or denying the complexity of an issue






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






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






40. 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'






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






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






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






44. 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.






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






46. 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!'






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






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






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






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