Test your basic knowledge |

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






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. 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.






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






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






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






9. 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!'






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






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






12. Information that can be objectively proven as true






13. Appeal to the reader's emotions






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






15. Information based on personal interpretation of facts






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






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






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






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






20. Obscuring or denying the complexity of an issue






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






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






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






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






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






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






27. Generalization: an argument that ignores all unfavorable evidence






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






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






30. 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'






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






32. Information gained from personal experience representing a general pattern






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






34. Information that is an interpretation of numerical data






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






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






37. Analogy or comparison that is not logically consistent






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






39. Appeal based on the credibility of the author






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






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






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






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






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






45. 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.






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






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






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






49. 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.






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