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






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






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






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






5. Appeal to the reader's emotions






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






7. 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.






8. 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.'






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






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






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






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






13. 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!'






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






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






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






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






18. Common knowledge or beliefs readers accept as true






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






20. 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.






21. Information gained from personal experience representing a general pattern






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






23. Generalization: an argument that ignores all unfavorable evidence






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






25. 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'






26. Information that can be objectively proven as true






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






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






29. Obscuring or denying the complexity of an issue






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






31. 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.






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






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






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






35. 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






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






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






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






39. Appeal based on the credibility of the author






40. Appeal to reason






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






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






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






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






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






46. Information that is an interpretation of numerical data






47. 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.






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






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






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