FALLACIES WORKSHEET

“Capital punishment deters crime Logos – Circular Reasoning Capital punishment is murder.
because it keeps criminals from
committing murder.”
“I don’t believe we should elect Logos – Red herring These qualities of the wife has nothing
him president because his wife to deal with the election of her
does not cook, does not stay home husband.
and does not care for her
husband.”
“Women should not be placed in Logos – Non-sequitur
executive positions because they
cannot drive cars as well as men.”
Person A: We should liberalize Logos – Straw Man Work ethic is not lost by simply
the laws on beer. liberalizing laws on beer.
Person B: No, any society with
unrestricted access to intoxicants
loses its work ethic and goes only
for immediate gratification.

Cats are superior to dogs because Logos – Stacked Evidence Because it only presented one side of
they are cleaner, cuter, and more the issue; it did not state how dogs
independent. could be superior to cats.
A woman can either be a mother Logos - Either-or There could only be one choice
or have a career.
A year after the release of the
violent shoot-’em-up video game
Annihilator, incidents of school
violence tripled—surely not a
coincidence.
I wouldn’t eat at that restaurant—
the only time I ate there, my
entree was undercooked.
Why should we think a candidate
who recently divorced will keep
her campaign promises?
Sara’s friend Amy robbed a bank; Ethos – Guilt by Association
therefore, Sara is a delinquent.
Trust me – my best friend
wouldn’t do that.
Paris Hilton carries a small dog in Pathos – Ad Populum
her purse, so you should buy a
hairless Chihuahua and put it in
your Louis Vuitton.
between career and family.
Logos – Post Hoc, Ergo, Release of shoot-‘em-up results to
Propter Hoc incidents of school violence.
Logos – Hasty Generalization Eating once does not give enough
proof.
Ethos - Argumentum Ad Mentioning about the divorce as a
Hominen reason to why campaign promises
might not be kept is an attack to the
character of the person
Not because Sara is associated with
Amy means Sara is like Amy.
Ethos – Argumentum Ad Because the speaker is best friends
Verecundiam with the person, he or she assumes that
the best friend won’t do that.
It’s a bandwagon / popular appeal
because Paris Hilton is popular.
If you get a B in high school, you Pathos - Slippery Slope It does not mean that getting one B
won’t get into the college of your automatically results to a meaningless
choice, and therefore will never career.
have a meaningful career.
You need an expensive car or Pathos - Creating False An expensive car is not a need but
people won’t think you’re cool. Needs something to impress others.
Gee, Mom and Dad, how can you Ethos - Argumentum Tu The parents tell their child not to do
tell me not to do drugs when you Quoque vices but they themselves do so.
both smoke cigarettes and drink
alcohol?

The new form of experimental Ethos - Argumentum Ad Not because a patient has not returned
chemotherapy must be working; Ignorantiam to complain proves that the new form
not a single patient has returned to of chemotherapy is effective.
complain.

The election mischief is one great Ethos – Moral Equivalence A major misdeed is compared to a
travesty. minor one.

You have been through so much Pathos – Argumentum Ad Argument from misery (the suffering)
suffering lately that I'm sure that Misericordiam
when you tell me you need
money, you must be telling the
truth.
One should believe in the validity Pathos – Argumentum Ad It states that one should believe in the
of the Bible lest God strike you Baculum validity or else God will punish you (a
down! threat).