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. 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'






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






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






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






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






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






7. 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.






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






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






10. Information gained from personal experience representing a general pattern






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






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






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






14. 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






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






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






17. Appeal to the reader's emotions






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






19. Generalization: an argument that ignores all unfavorable evidence






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






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






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






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






24. Information that is an interpretation of numerical data






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






26. 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.






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






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






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






30. Obscuring or denying the complexity of an issue






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






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






33. 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!'






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






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






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






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






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






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






40. 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.






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






42. Appeal based on the credibility of the author






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






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






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






46. 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?






47. Information based on personal interpretation of facts






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






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






50. Analogy or comparison that is not logically consistent