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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 is an interpretation of numerical data






2. Information gained from personal experience representing a general pattern






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






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






5. Information based on personal interpretation of facts






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






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






8. Analogy or comparison that is not logically consistent






9. Appeal to reason






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






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






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






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






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






15. 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.






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






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






18. 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.'






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






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






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






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






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






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






25. 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!'






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






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






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






29. Generalization: an argument that ignores all unfavorable evidence






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






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






32. Common knowledge or beliefs readers accept as true






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






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






36. Appeal based on the credibility of the author






37. Information that can be objectively proven as true






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






39. Appeal to the reader's emotions






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






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






42. 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.






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






44. 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






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






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






47. 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'






48. 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.






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






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