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






2. Common knowledge or beliefs readers accept as true






3. Appeal to the reader's emotions






4. 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.'






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






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






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






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






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






10. 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.






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






12. 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.






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






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






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






16. 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?






17. 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






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






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






20. Information that can be objectively proven as true






21. Appeal to reason






22. Obscuring or denying the complexity of an issue






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






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






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






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






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






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






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






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






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






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






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






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






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






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






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






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






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






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






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






42. Analogy or comparison that is not logically consistent






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






44. Information that is an interpretation of numerical data






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






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






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






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






50. Information gained from personal experience representing a general pattern