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






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






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






4. 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'






5. 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






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






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






8. Information based on personal interpretation of facts






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






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






11. 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.






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






13. Information gained from personal experience representing a general pattern






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






15. Analogy or comparison that is not logically consistent






16. Information that can be objectively proven as true






17. 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.






18. Appeal based on the credibility of the author






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






20. Appeal to reason






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






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






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






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






25. Information that is an interpretation of numerical data






26. Appeal to the reader's emotions






27. 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.'






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






29. 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?






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






31. Obscuring or denying the complexity of an issue






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






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






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






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






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






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






38. 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.






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






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






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






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






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






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






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






46. Common knowledge or beliefs readers accept as true






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






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






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






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