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






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






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






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






5. 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.






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






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






8. Common knowledge or beliefs readers accept as true






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






10. Analogy or comparison that is not logically consistent






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






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






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






14. 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






15. 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!'






16. 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'






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






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






19. Information that is an interpretation of numerical data






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






21. Information that can be objectively proven as true






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






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






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






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






26. Appeal to the reader's emotions






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






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






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






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






31. 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.'






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






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






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






35. Information gained from personal experience representing a general pattern






36. Obscuring or denying the complexity of an issue






37. Information based on personal interpretation of facts






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






39. 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.






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






41. 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?






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






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






44. Generalization: an argument that ignores all unfavorable evidence






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






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






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






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






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






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