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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 that can be objectively proven as true






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






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






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






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






6. 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






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






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






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






10. Generalization: an argument that ignores all unfavorable evidence






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






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






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






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






15. 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.'






16. Appeal to reason






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






18. 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.






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






20. Common knowledge or beliefs readers accept as true






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






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






23. Information based on personal interpretation of facts






24. Appeal based on the credibility of the author






25. 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.






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






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






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






29. Appeal to the reader's emotions






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






31. 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!'






32. 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.






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






34. 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.






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






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






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






38. 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'






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






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. Two comparable issues or ideas are judged by different criteria






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






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






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






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






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






47. Obscuring or denying the complexity of an issue






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






49. Information gained from personal experience representing a general pattern






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