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






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






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






4. Obscuring or denying the complexity of an issue






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






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






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






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






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






10. Analogy or comparison that is not logically consistent






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






12. 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!'






13. 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'






14. 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.'






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






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






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






18. Information gained from personal experience representing a general pattern






19. Appeal to reason






20. Appeal to the reader's emotions






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






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






23. Information that can be objectively proven as true






24. 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.






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






26. Information based on personal interpretation of facts






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






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






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






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






31. Common knowledge or beliefs readers accept as true






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






33. Generalization: an argument that ignores all unfavorable evidence






34. 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.






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






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






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






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






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






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






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






42. 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?






43. 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.






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






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






46. 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






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






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






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






50. Appeal based on the credibility of the author