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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: 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.'






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






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






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






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






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






7. Common knowledge or beliefs readers accept as true






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






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






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






11. 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






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






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






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






15. Information gained from personal experience representing a general pattern






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






17. Appeal to the reader's emotions






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






19. Generalization: an argument that ignores all unfavorable evidence






20. Obscuring or denying the complexity of an issue






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. Information based on personal interpretation of facts






24. 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'






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






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






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






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






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






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






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






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






33. Appeal to reason






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






35. Information that is an interpretation of numerical data






36. 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?






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






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






39. 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.






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






41. Analogy or comparison that is not logically consistent






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






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






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






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






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






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






48. Appeal based on the credibility of the author






49. 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.






50. Information that can be objectively proven as true