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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. Information based on personal interpretation of facts






2. 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.






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






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






5. Information that can be objectively proven as true






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






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






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






9. 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'






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






11. Information that is an interpretation of numerical data






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






13. Obscuring or denying the complexity of an issue






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






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






16. Appeal to the reader's emotions






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






18. 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.






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






20. 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






21. 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.






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






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






24. 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.'






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






26. Appeal to reason






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






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






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






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






31. Information gained from personal experience representing a general pattern






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






33. Analogy or comparison that is not logically consistent






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






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






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






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






38. 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.






39. 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!'






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






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






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






43. Common knowledge or beliefs readers accept as true






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






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






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






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






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






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






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