Logical Fallacies Exercises: Writing Practice (B2-C2) with Answers

⏱ Time: 10:00 📝 Questions: 20 📊 Level: B2, C1, C2 📚 Type: Writing ⭐ XP: up to +30 (on pass)
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The fastest way to grow your vocabulary is to learn from mistakes. Try these 20 Logical Fallacies exercises at Level B2-C2 and read the explanation for every question — especially the ones you get wrong.

⏱ You have 10:00 to answer 20 questions. The timer only starts when you click Begin.

Q1  20
Q1 20

Question 1: Attacking the person making the argument instead of the argument itself is called an ad ___ fallacy.

Question 1 options
'Hominem' is correct because 'ad hominem' is the Latin term meaning 'to the person,' describing an attack on the arguer rather than the argument. 'Populum' refers to appeals to the people, 'hoc' appears in 'ad hoc' meaning for a specific purpose, and 'nauseam' appears in 'ad nauseam' meaning to a sickening degree.
Q2 20

Question 2: A writer who argues that we must either ban all cars or accept unlimited pollution is committing a ___ fallacy.

Question 2 options
'False dilemma' is correct because this fallacy presents only two extreme options when other alternatives exist. A 'red herring' introduces an irrelevant topic, a 'straw man' misrepresents someone's argument, and 'circular reasoning' uses the conclusion as a premise.
Q3 20

Question 3: A 'straw man' fallacy occurs when a writer misrepresents an opponent's position to make it easier to attack.

Question 3 options
True because the straw man fallacy involves distorting, exaggerating, or oversimplifying someone's argument so that it becomes easier to refute, rather than addressing the actual position.
Q4 20

Question 4: What does the term 'red herring' mean in the context of argumentation?

Question 4 options
'Red herring' refers to introducing an irrelevant topic to divert attention from the original issue. It does not mean strengthening the main claim, providing factual evidence, or using emotional language to persuade.
Q5 20

Question 5: The argument 'Everyone believes this policy works, so it must be correct' is an example of an appeal to ___.

Question 5 options
'Popularity' is correct because this fallacy (also called 'ad populum' or 'bandwagon') claims something is true simply because many people believe it. 'Authority' involves citing an expert, 'emotion' involves manipulating feelings, and 'tradition' appeals to longstanding customs.
Q6 20

Question 6: Match each logical fallacy to its definition.

Question 6 options
slippery slope
hasty generalization
begging the question
tu quoque
assuming the truth of the conclusion within the premise
drawing a broad conclusion from insufficient evidence
deflecting criticism by accusing the opponent of the same fault
claiming one action will inevitably lead to extreme consequences

Select an item on the left, then tap its match on the right.

A slippery slope claims one event will lead to extreme consequences; hasty generalization draws broad conclusions from limited evidence; begging the question assumes the conclusion within the premise; tu quoque deflects criticism by pointing to the accuser's behavior.
Q7 20

Question 7: In academic writing, the phrase 'correlation does not imply ___' warns against a common logical error.

Question 7 options
'Causation' is correct because this well-known phrase warns writers that just because two things occur together does not mean one causes the other. 'Comparison,' 'contradiction,' and 'confirmation' do not complete this standard expression.
Q8 20

Question 8: Which word is closest in meaning to 'fallacious'?

Question 8 options
'Misleading' is closest in meaning to 'fallacious,' which describes reasoning that appears sound but is actually flawed or deceptive. 'Factual' means based on facts, 'persuasive' means convincing, and 'ambiguous' means having multiple interpretations.
Q9 20

Question 9: A politician who says 'You can't trust my opponent's economic plan because he failed his university exams' is using a/an ___ fallacy.

Question 9 options
'Ad hominem' is correct because the politician attacks the opponent's personal history rather than addressing the economic plan itself. 'Appeal to authority' cites an expert, 'false equivalence' equates unlike things, and 'post hoc' confuses sequence with causation.
Q10 20

Question 10: The fallacy known as 'post hoc, ergo propter ___' assumes that because one event followed another, the first event caused the second.

Question 10 options
The full Latin phrase is 'post hoc, ergo propter hoc,' meaning 'after this, therefore because of this.' It describes the error of confusing temporal sequence with causation.
Q11 20

Question 11: When a writer argues that a claim is true because an unqualified celebrity endorses it, this is a/an ___ appeal to authority.

Question 11 options
'Fallacious' is correct because citing an authority who lacks relevant expertise constitutes a flawed or fallacious appeal to authority. 'Legitimate' and 'credible' would describe a valid citation, and 'anecdotal' refers to evidence based on personal stories.
Q12 20

Question 12: The term 'non sequitur' refers to a conclusion that logically follows from the stated premises.

Question 12 options
False because 'non sequitur' is Latin for 'it does not follow' and describes a conclusion that has no logical connection to the preceding premises.
Q13 20

Question 13: The ___ fallacy occurs when a writer shifts the burden of proof by claiming something is true because it has not been proven false.

Question 13 options
'Appeal to ignorance' is correct because this fallacy (argumentum ad ignorantiam) asserts that a proposition is true simply because it has not been disproven. 'Genetic fallacy' judges claims by their origin, 'equivocation' exploits ambiguous terms, and 'loaded question' contains an unjustified assumption.
Q14 20

Question 14: What does the term 'equivocation' mean in the study of logical fallacies?

Question 14 options
'Equivocation' means using an ambiguous word in two different senses within the same argument, creating a misleading impression of logical validity. It does not mean exaggerating evidence, repeating a claim, or citing irrelevant sources.
Q15 20

Question 15: In persuasive writing, the ___ fallacy involves presenting a weakened or distorted version of an opposing argument in order to refute it more easily.

Question 15 options
'Straw man' is correct because this fallacy deliberately misrepresents an opponent's position. A 'false cause' confuses correlation with causation, a 'bandwagon' appeals to popular opinion, and 'special pleading' applies standards inconsistently.
Q16 20

Question 16: Which word is closest in meaning to 'specious'?

Question 16 options
'Deceptive' is closest in meaning to 'specious,' which describes something that appears valid or correct on the surface but is actually flawed. 'Rigorous' implies careful thoroughness, 'transparent' implies openness, and 'substantial' implies significance.
Q17 20

Question 17: An essay that argues 'We've always done it this way, so there is no reason to change' commits a fallacious appeal to ___.

Question 17 options
'Tradition' is correct because this fallacy (argumentum ad antiquitatem) claims that something is good or correct simply because it is old or traditional. 'Novelty' appeals to newness, 'nature' argues something is good because it is natural, and 'pity' manipulates sympathy.
Q18 20

Question 18: A writer who argues that an opponent's point about healthcare reform is invalid because the opponent once lied about an unrelated matter commits the ___ fallacy.

Question 18 options
'Poisoning the well' is correct because the writer discredits the opponent in advance so that anything the opponent says will be dismissed. 'False analogy' compares unlike situations, 'composition' attributes properties of parts to the whole, and 'appeal to consequences' judges truth by outcomes.
Q19 20

Question 19: The ___ fallacy occurs when a writer gradually redefines a key term during an argument so that the conclusion no longer addresses the original claim.

Question 19 options
'Moving the goalposts' is correct because this fallacy involves subtly shifting the criteria or definition so the original argument can never be satisfactorily refuted. 'Burden of proof' shifts responsibility for evidence, 'middle ground' assumes a compromise is correct, and 'cherry picking' selects only favorable data.
Q20 20

Question 20: In formal writing, which term describes the fallacy of assuming that what is true of a part must also be true of the whole?

Question 20 options
'Fallacy of composition' is correct because it erroneously attributes a characteristic of individual parts to the entire group or system. 'Division' does the reverse, 'bifurcation' presents a false either/or choice, and 'reification' treats an abstraction as concrete.