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. 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.






2. Generalization: an argument that ignores all unfavorable evidence






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






4. Appeal based on the credibility of the author






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






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






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






8. Information that can be objectively proven as true






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






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






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






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






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






14. 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?






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






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






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






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






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






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






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






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






23. Analogy or comparison that is not logically consistent






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






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






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






27. Information that is an interpretation of numerical data






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






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






30. 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.






31. Information based on personal interpretation of facts






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






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






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






35. Information gained from personal experience representing a general pattern






36. Appeal to the reader's emotions






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






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






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






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






41. Common knowledge or beliefs readers accept as true






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






43. Obscuring or denying the complexity of an issue






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






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






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






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






48. 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






49. 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!'






50. Appeal to reason