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






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






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






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






5. Information based on personal interpretation of facts






6. Appeal based on the credibility of the author






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






8. 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'






9. Appeal to the reader's emotions






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






11. Generalization: an argument that ignores all unfavorable evidence






12. Appeal to reason






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






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






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






17. 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.






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






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






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






21. 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.'






22. Information that is an interpretation of numerical data






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






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






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






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






27. 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.






28. 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






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






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






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






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






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






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






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






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






37. Obscuring or denying the complexity of an issue






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






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






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






41. Information gained from personal experience representing a general pattern






42. Information that can be objectively proven as true






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






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






45. 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!'






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






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






48. 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?






49. Common knowledge or beliefs readers accept as true






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