Attack and Distract
A speaker uses this to shift focus from the main issue by bringing up an irrelevant, distracting topic.
Red Herring
"If you don't let me borrow your pen, I'll fail this test, drop out of school, and never get a job!"
Slippery Slope
This happens when you misrepresent someone's argument to make it easier to attack.
Straw Man
"I know my locker is messy, but look at how cool my new sneakers are!"
Red Herring
This person makes their opponent's argument sound weak or silly—like a "dummy" made of dried grass—just so they can easily knock it down.
Straw Man
"I’m the captain of the team because I’m the leader
Circular Reasoning
This person claims their idea is right just because they are older or "the boss," even if they don't actually know anything about the topic.
False Appeal
"I met one kid from that school and he was rude, so everyone at that school must be mean."
Hasty Generalization