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






2. 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'






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






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






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






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






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






8. Analogy or comparison that is not logically consistent






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






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






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






12. 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.'






13. Information gained from personal experience representing a general pattern






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






15. 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!'






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






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






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






19. 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.






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






21. Information based on personal interpretation of facts






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






23. Generalization: an argument that ignores all unfavorable evidence






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






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






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






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






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






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






30. Appeal to reason






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






32. 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?






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






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






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






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






37. Information that is an interpretation of numerical data






38. Appeal based on the credibility of the author






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






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






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






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






43. 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.






44. 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.






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






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






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






48. Appeal to the reader's emotions






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






50. Common knowledge or beliefs readers accept as true