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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. 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'






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






3. Appeal based on the credibility of the author






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






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






6. 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?






7. Analogy or comparison that is not logically consistent






8. 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.






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






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






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






12. Information that can be objectively proven as true






13. Appeal to the reader's emotions






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






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






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






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






18. Common knowledge or beliefs readers accept as true






19. Information gained from personal experience representing a general pattern






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






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






22. Obscuring or denying the complexity of an issue






23. Information that is an interpretation of numerical data






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






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






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






27. 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






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






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






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






31. Information based on personal interpretation of facts






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






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






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






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






36. 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!'






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






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






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






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






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






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






43. Appeal to reason






44. 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.






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






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






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






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






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