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






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






3. Obscuring or denying the complexity of an issue






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






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






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






7. 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?






8. Information that is an interpretation of numerical data






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






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






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






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






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






14. 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.'






15. 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!'






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






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






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






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






20. Analogy or comparison that is not logically consistent






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. Generalization: drawing conclusions based on insufficient or unrepresentative evidence






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






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






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






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






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






28. Appeal to the reader's emotions






29. Information that can be objectively proven as true






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






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






32. Information based on personal interpretation of facts






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






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






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






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






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






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






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






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






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






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






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






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






45. Generalization: an argument that ignores all unfavorable evidence






46. 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.






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






48. Common knowledge or beliefs readers accept as true






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






50. 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.