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






2. Information gained from personal experience representing a general pattern






3. 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.






4. Common knowledge or beliefs readers accept as true






5. Obscuring or denying the complexity of an issue






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






7. Appeal based on the credibility of the author






8. 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






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






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






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






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






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






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. Information that can be objectively proven as true






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






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






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






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






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






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






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






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






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






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






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






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






28. 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?






29. Appeal to reason






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






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






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






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






34. Generalization: an argument that ignores all unfavorable evidence






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






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






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






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






39. Information that is an interpretation of numerical data






40. 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!'






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






42. Information based on personal interpretation of facts






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






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






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






46. 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'






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






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






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






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