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SAT Essay Logical Fallacies

Subjects : sat, english, writing-skills
Instructions:
  • Answer 50 questions in 20 minutes. 2 minutes extra for reading the instructions.
  • 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. 'it does not follow' drawing a conclusion or making a transition that is not a logical result of the facts






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






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






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






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






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






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






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






9. 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.'






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






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






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






13. Information gained from personal experience representing a general pattern






14. Information that is an interpretation of numerical data






15. 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.






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






17. 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.






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






19. Information based on personal interpretation of facts






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






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






22. Generalization: an argument that ignores all unfavorable evidence






23. Information that can be objectively proven as true






24. 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'






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






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






27. Appeal to the reader's emotions






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






29. Appeal based on the credibility of the author






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






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






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






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






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






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






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






37. Analogy or comparison that is not logically consistent






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






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






40. 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.






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






42. 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.






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






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






45. Common knowledge or beliefs readers accept as true






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






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






48. Obscuring or denying the complexity of an issue






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






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