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






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






3. 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.






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






5. 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






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






7. 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.'






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






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






10. 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!'






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






12. Common knowledge or beliefs readers accept as true






13. Appeal to reason






14. 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'






15. 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.






16. 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?






17. Analogy or comparison that is not logically consistent






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






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






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






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






22. Appeal based on the credibility of the author






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






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






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






26. Obscuring or denying the complexity of an issue






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






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






29. 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.






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






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






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






33. Information gained from personal experience representing a general pattern






34. Generalization: an argument that ignores all unfavorable evidence






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






36. Appeal to the reader's emotions






37. Information based on personal interpretation of facts






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






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






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






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






42. 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.






43. Information that is an interpretation of numerical data






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






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






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






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






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






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






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