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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. 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'






2. Common knowledge or beliefs readers accept as true






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






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






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






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






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






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






9. 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!'






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






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






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






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






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






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






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






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






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






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






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






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






22. 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.






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






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






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






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






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






28. 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






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






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






31. 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.






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






33. Generalization: an argument that ignores all unfavorable evidence






34. 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.'






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






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






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






38. Appeal to reason






39. Information that can be objectively proven as true






40. Obscuring or denying the complexity of an issue






41. Information based on personal interpretation of facts






42. Appeal based on the credibility of the author






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






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






45. Information that is an interpretation of numerical data






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






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






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






49. Information gained from personal experience representing a general pattern






50. Analogy or comparison that is not logically consistent