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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. Appeal to the reader's emotions






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






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






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






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






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






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






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






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






10. Appeal to reason






11. Generalization: an argument that ignores all unfavorable evidence






12. 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?






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






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






15. Information that is an interpretation of numerical data






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






17. 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!'






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






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






20. Information based on personal interpretation of facts






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






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






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






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






25. 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.






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






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






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






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






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






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






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






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






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






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






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






37. Information gained from personal experience representing a general pattern






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






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






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






41. Common knowledge or beliefs readers accept as true






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






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






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






45. 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'






46. Information that can be objectively proven as true






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






48. Appeal based on the credibility of the author






49. 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.






50. 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.'