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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. 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!'






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






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






4. Appeal to the reader's emotions






5. 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.






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






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






8. Appeal based on the credibility of the author






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






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






11. 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?






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






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






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






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






16. 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.






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






18. Information based on personal interpretation of facts






19. 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.






20. 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






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






22. Information gained from personal experience representing a general pattern






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






24. Appeal to reason






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






26. Common knowledge or beliefs readers accept as true






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






28. 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.






29. Generalization: an argument that ignores all unfavorable evidence






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






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






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






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






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






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






36. Information that can be objectively proven as true






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






38. Analogy or comparison that is not logically consistent






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






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






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






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






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






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






46. Information that is an interpretation of numerical data






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






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






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






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