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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. 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.






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






3. Information that can be objectively proven as true






4. Analogy or comparison that is not logically consistent






5. Appeal to the reader's emotions






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






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






8. Appeal based on the credibility of the author






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






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






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






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






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






14. Obscuring or denying the complexity of an issue






15. 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.






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






17. Information gained from personal experience representing a general pattern






18. 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!'






19. 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?






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






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






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






23. 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.






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






25. Appeal to reason






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






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






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






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






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






31. 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






32. Information that is an interpretation of numerical data






33. Common knowledge or beliefs readers accept as true






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






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






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






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






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






39. Information based on personal interpretation of facts






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






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






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






43. Generalization: an argument that ignores all unfavorable evidence






44. 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'






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






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






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






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






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






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