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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. Any diversion intended to distract attention from the main issue






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






4. Information gained from personal experience representing a general pattern






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






6. Common knowledge or beliefs readers accept as true






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






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






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






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






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






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






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






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






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






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






17. 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?






18. 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'






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






20. Appeal to reason






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






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






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






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






25. 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






26. 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.






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






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






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






30. Obscuring or denying the complexity of an issue






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






32. Information that can be objectively proven as true






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






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






35. Analogy or comparison that is not logically consistent






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






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






39. 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.'






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






41. Information based on personal interpretation of facts






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






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






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






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






46. Appeal based on the credibility of the author






47. Generalization: an argument that ignores all unfavorable evidence






48. Appeal to the reader's emotions






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






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