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






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






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






4. 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!'






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






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






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






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






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






11. Appeal to the reader's emotions






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






13. 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.






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






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






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






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






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






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






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






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






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






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






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






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






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






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






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






31. Information based on personal interpretation of facts






32. Common knowledge or beliefs readers accept as true






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






34. Information that is an interpretation of numerical data






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






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






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






38. Obscuring or denying the complexity of an issue






39. Generalization: an argument that ignores all unfavorable evidence






40. Information gained from personal experience representing a general pattern






41. Appeal to reason






42. 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






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






44. Information that can be objectively proven as true






45. 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.






46. 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.






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






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






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






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