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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: Assuming that an incident that precedes another is the cause of the second incident






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






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






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






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






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






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






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






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






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






11. 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






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






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






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






15. Information based on personal interpretation of facts






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






17. Obscuring or denying the complexity of an issue






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






19. 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.'






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






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






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






23. Appeal to the reader's emotions






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






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






26. Analogy or comparison that is not logically consistent






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






28. Information that can be objectively proven as true






29. Appeal to reason






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






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






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






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






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






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






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






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






38. 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!'






39. Appeal based on the credibility of the author






40. Information gained from personal experience representing a general pattern






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






42. Common knowledge or beliefs readers accept as true






43. 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'






44. 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.






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






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






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






48. Generalization: an argument that ignores all unfavorable evidence






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






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