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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. 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.






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. Generalization: drawing conclusions based on insufficient or unrepresentative evidence






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






5. 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






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






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






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






9. Obscuring or denying the complexity of an issue






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






11. Analogy or comparison that is not logically consistent






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






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






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






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






16. 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.






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






18. Information that can be objectively proven as true






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






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






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






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






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






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






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






26. Generalization: an argument that ignores all unfavorable evidence






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






28. Appeal to reason






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






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






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






32. 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!'






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






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






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






36. Appeal based on the credibility of the author






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






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






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






40. Information based on personal interpretation of facts






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






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






43. 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.'






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






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






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






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






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






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






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