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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. Appeal to the reader's emotions






2. 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.






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






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






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






6. 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






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






8. 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.'






9. Information based on personal interpretation of facts






10. Obscuring or denying the complexity of an issue






11. 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.






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






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






14. 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!'






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






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






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






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






19. Information that is an interpretation of numerical data






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






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






22. Information that can be objectively proven as true






23. 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?






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






25. Information gained from personal experience representing a general pattern






26. Common knowledge or beliefs readers accept as true






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






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






29. 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.






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






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






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






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






34. Analogy or comparison that is not logically consistent






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






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






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






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






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






40. Appeal based on the credibility of the author






41. Generalization: an argument that ignores all unfavorable evidence






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






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






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






45. 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.






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






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






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






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






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