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






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






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






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






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






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






8. 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






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






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






11. Information gained from personal experience representing a general pattern






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






13. 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!'






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






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






16. Common knowledge or beliefs readers accept as true






17. Appeal based on the credibility of the author






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






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






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






21. Information that can be objectively proven as true






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






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






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






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






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






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






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






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






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






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






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






33. Appeal to the reader's emotions






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






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






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






37. Information that is an interpretation of numerical data






38. 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.






39. Obscuring or denying the complexity of an issue






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






41. 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.






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






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






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






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






46. 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.






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






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






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






50. Appeal to reason