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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. Appeal based on the credibility of the author






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






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






4. 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.






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






6. 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!'






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






8. Analogy or comparison that is not logically consistent






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






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






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






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






13. Appeal to the reader's emotions






14. 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.






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






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






17. Obscuring or denying the complexity of an issue






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






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






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






21. 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.






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






23. 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.'






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






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






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






27. 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?






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






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






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






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. Common knowledge or beliefs readers accept as true






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






34. Information gained from personal experience representing a general pattern






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






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






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






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






39. Information that can be objectively proven as true






40. Information based on personal interpretation of facts






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






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






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






44. Information that is an interpretation of numerical data






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






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






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






48. Appeal to reason






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






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