Success Homeschool

Year 13 English · Evaluating arguments and reasoning

Name: ______________________

Date: ____________

1. 'You're either with us or against us.' Which fallacy is this?
- ☐ (a) Ad hominem
- ☐ (b) Bandwagon
- ☐ (c) False dilemma
- ☐ (d) Straw man
2. 'If we let students redo one test, next they'll want to redo every subject, and soon grades will mean nothing.' Which fallacy?
- ☐ (a) Slippery slope
- ☐ (b) Hasty generalisation
- ☐ (c) Ad hominem
- ☐ (d) Bandwagon
3. 'Millions of Australians already use this app, so it must be the best.' Which fallacy?
- ☐ (a) Straw man
- ☐ (b) False dilemma
- ☐ (c) Slippery slope
- ☐ (d) Bandwagon
4. Which question tests whether evidence is sufficient?
- ☐ (a) Is it written in formal language?
- ☐ (b) Is there enough evidence to support the size of the claim?
- ☐ (c) Does it include a rhetorical question?
- ☐ (d) Is the author famous?
5. 'My opponent wants to review the school uniform policy – she clearly wants students to wear pyjamas to class!' Which fallacy?
- ☐ (a) Straw man
- ☐ (b) Ad hominem
- ☐ (c) Bandwagon
- ☐ (d) False dilemma
6. Which fallacy attacks the person instead of their argument? (two words)
7. Drawing a broad conclusion from too few examples is a ______ generalisation. (one word)
8. What is the general term for a flaw in reasoning? A logical ______. (one word)

Answer sheet

1. False dilemma — It presents only two options when others exist.
2. Slippery slope — It claims an extreme chain of consequences without evidence.
3. Bandwagon — Popularity is presented as proof of quality.
4. Is there enough evidence to support the size of the claim? — Sufficiency is about whether the amount of evidence matches the claim.
5. Straw man — The opponent's reasonable position is distorted into an absurd one.
6. Ad hominem — Ad hominem is Latin for 'to the person'.
7. Hasty — A hasty generalisation relies on insufficient evidence.
8. Fallacy — Logical fallacies make arguments seem stronger than they are.