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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. Information based on personal interpretation of facts






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






3. 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.'






4. 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.






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






6. 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?






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






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






9. Obscuring or denying the complexity of an issue






10. Information gained from personal experience representing a general pattern






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






12. 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!'






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






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






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






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






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






18. 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'






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






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






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






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






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






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






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






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






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






28. 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.






29. 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.






30. Information that can be objectively proven as true






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






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






33. Appeal to reason






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






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






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






37. Analogy or comparison that is not logically consistent






38. Common knowledge or beliefs readers accept as true






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






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






41. 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.






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






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






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






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






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






47. Appeal based on the credibility of the author






48. Information that is an interpretation of numerical data






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






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