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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. Analogy or comparison that is not logically consistent






2. Appeal to the reader's emotions






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






4. Common knowledge or beliefs readers accept as true






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






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






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






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






9. Appeal based on the credibility of the author






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






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






12. 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.






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






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






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






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






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






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






19. 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.






20. 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.






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






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






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






24. 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






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






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






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






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






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






30. Appeal to reason






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






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






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






34. 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!'






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






36. Generalization: an argument that ignores all unfavorable evidence






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






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






39. 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'






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






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






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






43. Information that is an interpretation of numerical data






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






45. 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?






46. Obscuring or denying the complexity of an issue






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






48. Information based on personal interpretation of facts






49. 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.'






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