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






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






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






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






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






7. Appeal to reason






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






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






10. Information that is an interpretation of numerical data






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






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






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






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






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






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






17. Appeal to the reader's emotions






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






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






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






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






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






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






24. 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.






25. Analogy or comparison that is not logically consistent






26. 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?






27. 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'






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






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






30. 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.






31. 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.'






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






33. 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.






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






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






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






37. 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!'






38. Obscuring or denying the complexity of an issue






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






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






41. Information that can be objectively proven as true






42. Information based on personal interpretation of facts






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






44. 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






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






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






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






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






49. Information gained from personal experience representing a general pattern






50. Common knowledge or beliefs readers accept as true