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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. Generalization: an argument that ignores all unfavorable evidence






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






3. Information based on personal interpretation of facts






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






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






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






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






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






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






10. 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.'






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






13. Information that is an interpretation of numerical data






14. Common knowledge or beliefs readers accept as true






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






16. 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.






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






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






19. 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.






20. 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






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






22. Information gained from personal experience representing a general pattern






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






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






25. Obscuring or denying the complexity of an issue






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






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






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






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






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






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






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






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






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






35. Appeal to reason






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






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






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






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. 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?






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






42. Analogy or comparison that is not logically consistent






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






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






45. 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'






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






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






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






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






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