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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. 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.






2. Common knowledge or beliefs readers accept as true






3. Appeal to the reader's emotions






4. 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?






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






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






7. Appeal to reason






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






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






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






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






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






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






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






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






16. Appeal based on the credibility of the author






17. Analogy or comparison that is not logically consistent






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






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






20. Information that can be objectively proven as true






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






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






23. 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!'






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






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






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






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






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






29. 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.






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






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






32. 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.






33. 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'






34. Generalization: an argument that ignores all unfavorable evidence






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






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






37. 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






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






39. 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.'






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






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






42. Information based on personal interpretation of facts






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






44. Information gained from personal experience representing a general pattern






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






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






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






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






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






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