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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. Analogy or comparison that is not logically consistent






2. Information that is an interpretation of numerical data






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






4. Information based on personal interpretation of facts






5. Appeal based on the credibility of the author






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






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






8. Obscuring or denying the complexity of an issue






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






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






11. Common knowledge or beliefs readers accept as true






12. Appeal to reason






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






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






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






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






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






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






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






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






21. 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.






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






23. 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.






24. 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.






25. 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!'






26. Information gained from personal experience representing a general pattern






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






28. 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'






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






30. 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






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






32. 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?






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






34. Information that can be objectively proven as true






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






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






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






38. 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.'






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






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






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






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






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






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






45. 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.






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






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






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






49. Appeal to the reader's emotions






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