Test your basic knowledge |

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






2. Common knowledge or beliefs readers accept as true






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






4. Appeal to reason






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






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






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






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






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






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






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






13. Analogy or comparison that is not logically consistent






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






15. 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.






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






17. Obscuring or denying the complexity of an issue






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






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






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 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.






22. Appeal to the reader's emotions






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






24. 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?






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






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






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






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






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






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






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






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






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






34. Generalization: an argument that ignores all unfavorable evidence






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






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






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






38. Information that can be objectively proven as true






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






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






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






43. 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.'






44. Information that is an interpretation of numerical data






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






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






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






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






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






50. Information gained from personal experience representing a general pattern