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






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






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






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






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






6. 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.






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






8. Information gained from personal experience representing a general pattern






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






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






11. Appeal to reason






12. Information based on personal interpretation of facts






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






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






15. Information that is an interpretation of numerical data






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






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






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






19. 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!'






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






21. Obscuring or denying the complexity of an issue






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






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






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






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






26. Common knowledge or beliefs readers accept as true






27. 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.






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






29. Generalization: an argument that ignores all unfavorable evidence






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






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






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






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






34. Information that can be objectively proven as true






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






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






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






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






39. Appeal based on the credibility of the author






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






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






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






43. Appeal to the reader's emotions






44. 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'






45. 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.






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






47. 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?






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






49. 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.






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