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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. Any diversion intended to distract attention from the main issue






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






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






4. Information that is an interpretation of numerical data






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






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






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






8. 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






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. Obscuring or denying the complexity of an issue






11. Information based on personal interpretation of facts






12. Information that can be objectively proven as true






13. 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.'






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






15. Generalization: an argument that ignores all unfavorable evidence






16. Appeal to reason






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






18. Common knowledge or beliefs readers accept as true






19. 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.






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






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






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






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






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






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






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






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






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






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






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






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






32. 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!'






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






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






35. Appeal to the reader's emotions






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






37. Appeal based on the credibility of the author






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






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






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






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






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






43. Analogy or comparison that is not logically consistent






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






45. 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?






46. 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'






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






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






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






50. Information gained from personal experience representing a general pattern