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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. Two comparable issues or ideas are judged by different criteria






2. Information that is an interpretation of numerical data






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






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






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






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






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






8. 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.






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






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






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






12. Appeal to the reader's emotions






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






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






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






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






17. Appeal to reason






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






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






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






21. 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!'






22. 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.






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






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






25. Information based on personal interpretation of facts






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






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






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






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






30. 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.






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






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






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






34. Common knowledge or beliefs readers accept as true






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






36. 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






37. 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.






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






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






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






41. Obscuring or denying the complexity of an issue






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






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






44. Information that can be objectively proven as true






45. Analogy or comparison that is not logically consistent






46. 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.'






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






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






49. Generalization: an argument that ignores all unfavorable evidence






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