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. Obscuring or denying the complexity of an issue






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






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






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






5. Appeal based on the credibility of the author






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






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






8. Information gained from personal experience representing a general pattern






9. 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.'






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






11. 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?






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






13. 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.






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






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






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






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






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






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






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






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






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






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






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






25. 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.






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






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






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






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






30. Appeal to the reader's emotions






31. 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!'






32. Analogy or comparison that is not logically consistent






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






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






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






36. Information that can be objectively proven as true






37. 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.






38. Generalization: an argument that ignores all unfavorable evidence






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






40. Information based on personal interpretation of facts






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






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






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






44. Common knowledge or beliefs readers accept as true






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






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






47. Appeal to reason






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






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






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