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






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






3. 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?






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






5. 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.'






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






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






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






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






10. Information gained from personal experience representing a general pattern






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






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






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






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






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






16. Information that can be objectively proven as true






17. Appeal based on the credibility of the author






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






19. Information that is an interpretation of numerical data






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






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






22. Obscuring or denying the complexity of an issue






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






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






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






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






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






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






29. 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.






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






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






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






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






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






35. Generalization: an argument that ignores all unfavorable evidence






36. Common knowledge or beliefs readers accept as true






37. 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.






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






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






40. 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.






41. 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






42. Appeal to the reader's emotions






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






44. 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.






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






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






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






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






49. Appeal to reason






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