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






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






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






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






5. 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.






6. 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.






7. 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.






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






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






10. 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?






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






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






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






14. Information based on personal interpretation of facts






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






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






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






18. Analogy or comparison that is not logically consistent






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






20. Appeal based on the credibility of the author






21. Obscuring or denying the complexity of an issue






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






23. Information that is an interpretation of numerical data






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






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






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






27. 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.






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






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






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






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






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






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






34. Appeal to the reader's emotions






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






36. 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!'






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






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






39. Generalization: an argument that ignores all unfavorable evidence






40. 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'






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






42. Information gained from personal experience representing a general pattern






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






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






45. 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






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






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






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






49. Common knowledge or beliefs readers accept as true






50. Appeal to reason