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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. 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?






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






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






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






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






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






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






8. Analogy or comparison that is not logically consistent






9. Common knowledge or beliefs readers accept as true






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






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






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






13. Obscuring or denying the complexity of an issue






14. 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!'






15. Information that is an interpretation of numerical data






16. Appeal to reason






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






18. 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.






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






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






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






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






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






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






25. Information based on personal interpretation of facts






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






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






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






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






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






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






33. 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.






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






35. 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.






36. Information gained from personal experience representing a general pattern






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






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






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






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






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






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






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






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






45. Information that can be objectively proven as true






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






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






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






50. Appeal to the reader's emotions