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






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






3. Appeal to reason






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






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






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






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






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






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






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






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






12. Appeal to the reader's emotions






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






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






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






16. Information based on personal interpretation of facts






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. 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?






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






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






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






22. Appeal based on the credibility of the author






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






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






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






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






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






28. Information that is an interpretation of numerical data






29. Information gained from personal experience representing a general pattern






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






31. 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.






32. Information that can be objectively proven as true






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






34. 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






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






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






37. Obscuring or denying the complexity of an issue






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






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






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






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






42. Analogy or comparison that is not logically consistent






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






44. 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.






45. 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.'






46. Generalization: an argument that ignores all unfavorable evidence






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






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






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. Writer encourages readers to accept a conclusion without any support