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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 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.






2. 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.'






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






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






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






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






7. Appeal based on the credibility of the author






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






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






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






11. 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'






12. 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.






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






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






16. 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.






17. Common knowledge or beliefs readers accept as true






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






19. Appeal to reason






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






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






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






23. Information that can be objectively proven as true






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






25. Generalization: an argument that ignores all unfavorable evidence






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






27. 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.






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






29. 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?






30. Analogy or comparison that is not logically consistent






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






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






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






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






35. Information gained from personal experience representing a general pattern






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






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






38. Obscuring or denying the complexity of an issue






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






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






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






42. Appeal to the reader's emotions






43. Information that is an interpretation of numerical data






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






45. Information based on personal interpretation of facts






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






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






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






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






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