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






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






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






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






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






6. 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?






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






8. 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






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






10. 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.






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






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






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






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






15. Information based on personal interpretation of facts






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






17. Analogy or comparison that is not logically consistent






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






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






20. Information that can be objectively proven as true






21. Appeal to reason






22. 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!'






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






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






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






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






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






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






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






30. 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'






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






32. Generalization: an argument that ignores all unfavorable evidence






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






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






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






36. Obscuring or denying the complexity of an issue






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






38. 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.'






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






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






41. Appeal based on the credibility of the author






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






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






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






45. Appeal to the reader's emotions






46. Information gained from personal experience representing a general pattern






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






48. 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.






49. 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.






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