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






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






3. 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.'






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






5. Generalization: an argument that ignores all unfavorable evidence






6. Obscuring or denying the complexity of an issue






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






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






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






11. 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!'






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






13. Information based on personal interpretation of facts






14. 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?






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






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






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






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






19. Information that is an interpretation of numerical data






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






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






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






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






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






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






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






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






28. Information gained from personal experience representing a general pattern






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






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






31. Analogy or comparison that is not logically consistent






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






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






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






35. Information that can be objectively proven as true






36. 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.






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






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






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






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






41. 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






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






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






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






45. 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.






46. Appeal to reason






47. Common knowledge or beliefs readers accept as true






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






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






50. Appeal to the reader's emotions