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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. Two comparable issues or ideas are judged by different criteria






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






3. Information that is an interpretation of numerical data






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






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






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






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






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






9. 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.






10. 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'






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






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






13. Appeal to reason






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






15. Information that can be objectively proven as true






16. 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.






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






18. Appeal to the reader's emotions






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






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






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






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






23. Information based on personal interpretation of facts






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






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






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






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






28. Information gained from personal experience representing a general pattern






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






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






31. Common knowledge or beliefs readers accept as true






32. Generalization: an argument that ignores all unfavorable evidence






33. Obscuring or denying the complexity of an issue






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






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






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






37. 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.






38. 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!'






39. 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.






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






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






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






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






44. Analogy or comparison that is not logically consistent






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






46. 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






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






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






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






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