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






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






3. Information based on personal interpretation of facts






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






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






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






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






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






9. Appeal to the reader's emotions






10. 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.






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






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






13. Common knowledge or beliefs readers accept as true






14. Information gained from personal experience representing a general pattern






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






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






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






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






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






20. 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






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






22. 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.






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






24. Appeal based on the credibility of the author






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






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






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






28. Information that is an interpretation of numerical data






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






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






31. 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.'






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






33. 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.






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






35. 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!'






36. Obscuring or denying the complexity of an issue






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






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






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






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






41. Appeal to reason






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






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






44. 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?






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






46. Analogy or comparison that is not logically consistent






47. Generalization: an argument that ignores all unfavorable evidence






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






49. Information that can be objectively proven as true






50. 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'