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






2. Information that can be objectively proven as true






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






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






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






6. Information based on personal interpretation of facts






7. Appeal to the reader's emotions






8. Common knowledge or beliefs readers accept as true






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






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






11. Appeal to reason






12. Analogy or comparison that is not logically consistent






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






14. 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?






15. Obscuring or denying the complexity of an issue






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






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






18. 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!'






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






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






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






22. Information that is an interpretation of numerical data






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






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






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






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






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






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






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






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






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






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






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






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






37. Appeal based on the credibility of the author






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






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






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






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






42. 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.






43. 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'






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






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






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






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






48. 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.






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






50. Generalization: an argument that ignores all unfavorable evidence