/* */

Test your basic knowledge |

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






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






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






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






5. 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






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






7. 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.'






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






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






10. Generalization: an argument that ignores all unfavorable evidence






11. Common knowledge or beliefs readers accept as true






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






13. Information that is an interpretation of numerical data






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






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






16. Information gained from personal experience representing a general pattern






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






18. Appeal based on the credibility of the author






19. 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!'






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






21. 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.






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






23. Appeal to the reader's emotions






24. Information that can be objectively proven as true






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






26. Analogy or comparison that is not logically consistent






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






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






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






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






31. Appeal to reason






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






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






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






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






36. 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'






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






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






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






40. Obscuring or denying the complexity of an issue






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






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






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






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






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






46. 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?






47. 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.






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






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






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






//