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






2. 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?






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






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






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






6. Information that can be objectively proven as true






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






8. 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.






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






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






11. 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!'






12. Obscuring or denying the complexity of an issue






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






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






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






16. Information gained from personal experience representing a general pattern






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






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






19. Information that is an interpretation of numerical data






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






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






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






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






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






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






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






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






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






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






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






31. Appeal to the reader's emotions






32. Information based on personal interpretation of facts






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






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






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






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






37. Appeal to reason






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






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






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






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






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






43. Common knowledge or beliefs readers accept as true






44. 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






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






46. Generalization: an argument that ignores all unfavorable evidence






47. 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'






48. 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.






49. Appeal based on the credibility of the author






50. 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.'