Test your basic knowledge |

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






2. Information gained from personal experience representing a general pattern






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






4. Appeal to the reader's emotions






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






6. Common knowledge or beliefs readers accept as true






7. Information that can be objectively proven as true






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






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






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






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






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






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






14. 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.






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. Analogy or comparison that is not logically consistent






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






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






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






20. 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






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






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






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






24. Information that is an interpretation of numerical data






25. 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'






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






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






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






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






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






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






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






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






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






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






36. Information based on personal interpretation of facts






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






38. Obscuring or denying the complexity of an issue






39. Appeal to reason






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






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






42. Generalization: an argument that ignores all unfavorable evidence






43. Appeal based on the credibility of the author






44. 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.






45. 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.'






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






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






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






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






50. 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?