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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. 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.






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






3. Appeal to the reader's emotions






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






5. Information based on personal interpretation of facts






6. Generalization: an argument that ignores all unfavorable evidence






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






8. Information that is an interpretation of numerical data






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






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






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






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






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






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






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






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






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






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






19. 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.'






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






21. 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!'






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






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






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






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






26. Common knowledge or beliefs readers accept as true






27. 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






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






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






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






31. 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.






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






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






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






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






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






37. Obscuring or denying the complexity of an issue






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






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






40. 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?






41. Information that can be objectively proven as true






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






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






44. Information gained from personal experience representing a general pattern






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






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






47. Analogy or comparison that is not logically consistent






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






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






50. Appeal to reason