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






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






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






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






5. Appeal to the reader's emotions






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






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






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






9. 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!'






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






11. 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.'






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






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






14. 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.






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






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. Generalization: drawing conclusions based on insufficient or unrepresentative evidence






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






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






20. Obscuring or denying the complexity of an issue






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






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






23. 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.






24. Information based on personal interpretation of facts






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






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






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






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






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






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






31. 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.






32. Information that can be objectively proven as true






33. 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






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






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






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






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






38. Information gained from personal experience representing a general pattern






39. 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?






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






41. Appeal based on the credibility of the author






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






43. Appeal to reason






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






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






46. Analogy or comparison that is not logically consistent






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






48. 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'






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






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