Test your basic knowledge |

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






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






3. Information that can be objectively proven as true






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






5. 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.






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






7. Generalization: an argument that ignores all unfavorable evidence






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






9. Analogy or comparison that is not logically consistent






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






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






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






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






14. Appeal based on the credibility of the author






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






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






17. Information based on personal interpretation of facts






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






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






20. Common knowledge or beliefs readers accept as true






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






22. Information gained from personal experience representing a general pattern






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






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






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






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






27. 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'






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






29. 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.






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






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






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






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






34. Appeal to the reader's emotions






35. 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






36. Information that is an interpretation of numerical data






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






38. Appeal to reason






39. 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!'






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






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






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






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






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






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






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






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






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






49. Obscuring or denying the complexity of an issue






50. 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.'