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






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






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






4. Information that can be objectively proven as true






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






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






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






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






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






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






12. Information that is an interpretation of numerical data






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






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






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






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






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






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






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






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






21. Appeal to reason






22. 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?






23. 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.






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






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






26. 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!'






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






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






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






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






31. 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.






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






33. 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.






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






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






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






37. Common knowledge or beliefs readers accept as true






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






39. Information based on personal interpretation of facts






40. 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






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






42. Obscuring or denying the complexity of an issue






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






44. 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.'






45. Appeal based on the credibility of the author






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






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






48. Appeal to the reader's emotions






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






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