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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. 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.






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






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






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






5. Analogy or comparison that is not logically consistent






6. 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.






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






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






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






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






11. Appeal based on the credibility of the author






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






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






14. 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?






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






16. 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






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






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






19. Common knowledge or beliefs readers accept as true






20. 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.






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






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






23. Generalization: an argument that ignores all unfavorable evidence






24. Information that can be objectively proven as true






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






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






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






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






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






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






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






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






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






34. Information gained from personal experience representing a general pattern






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






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






37. 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.






38. Information based on personal interpretation of facts






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






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






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






42. Appeal to the reader's emotions






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






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






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






46. Obscuring or denying the complexity of an issue






47. Information that is an interpretation of numerical data






48. Appeal to reason






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






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