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






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






3. Appeal to reason






4. Analogy or comparison that is not logically consistent






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






6. Generalization: an argument that ignores all unfavorable evidence






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






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






9. 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.






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






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






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






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






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






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






17. Obscuring or denying the complexity of an issue






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






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






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






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






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






23. Appeal based on the credibility of the author






24. Information that is an interpretation of numerical data






25. 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'






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






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






28. Information that can be objectively proven as true






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






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






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






32. 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






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






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






35. 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.'






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






37. 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.






38. Information gained from personal experience representing a general pattern






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






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






41. Common knowledge or beliefs readers accept as true






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






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






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






45. Information based on personal interpretation of facts






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






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






48. 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!'






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






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