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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. Analogy or comparison that is not logically consistent






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






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






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






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






6. Information gained from personal experience representing a general pattern






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






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






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






10. Appeal based on the credibility of the author






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






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






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






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






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






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






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






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






21. 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'






22. Obscuring or denying the complexity of an issue






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






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






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






26. Appeal to reason






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






28. 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.'






29. 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.






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






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






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






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






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






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






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






37. 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






38. Information that can be objectively proven as true






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






40. Appeal to the reader's emotions






41. Generalization: an argument that ignores all unfavorable evidence






42. Common knowledge or beliefs readers accept as true






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






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






45. 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.






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






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






48. Information that is an interpretation of numerical data






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






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