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






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






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






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






5. Information that can be objectively proven as true






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






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






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






9. Appeal to reason






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






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






12. Information based on personal interpretation of facts






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






14. Generalization: an argument that ignores all unfavorable evidence






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






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






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






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






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






20. 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.






21. Appeal based on the credibility of the author






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. 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.






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






25. Common knowledge or beliefs readers accept as true






26. Appeal to the reader's emotions






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






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






29. Information that is an interpretation of numerical data






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






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






32. 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.






33. Analogy or comparison that is not logically consistent






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






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






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






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






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






39. 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.'






40. Obscuring or denying the complexity of an issue






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






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






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






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






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






46. Information gained from personal experience representing a general pattern






47. 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?






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






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






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