Abusive or Circumstantial
What's the Attack?
Fake Ads
Spot the Difference
Fallacy Detective
100
“Of course Jake thinks we should have more recess. He’s the laziest kid in our grade."
Answer: Ad Hominem Abusive
Why: Jake is personally insulted as “lazy” instead of his argument about recess being addressed.
100
Abusive “Noah thinks homework helps students learn, but Noah is terrible at sports.”
Why: Being bad at sports has nothing to do with whether Noah’s homework argument is correct.
100
Our competitor says their sports drink hydrates athletes better. But have you SEEN their ridiculous logo?
Answer: Abusive
Why: The logo has nothing to do with whether the drink hydrates athletes better.
100
A: “Don't listen to Ben. He's an idiot.”
B: “Don't listen to Ben. His dad owns the company he's defending.”
Answer: A = Abusive; B = Circumstantial
Why: A attacks Ben's intelligence. B attacks his argument based on his personal circumstances.
100
"You only think uniforms are a good idea because you hate fashion.”
Answer: Circumstantial
Why: It claims the person's preference or circumstances explain the argument rather than evaluating uniforms.
200
“Don’t listen to Mia when she says the school should sell pizza on Fridays. Her parents own the pizza restaurant in town.”
Answer: Ad Hominem Circumstantial
Why: The speaker dismisses Mia’s argument because her family could benefit from it. That attacks her circumstances/motives, not the actual argument.
200
“Of course the owner of the movie theater says going to the movies is better than watching movies at home. He makes money when you buy a ticket.”
Circumstantial
Why: The speaker attacks the owner’s financial interest instead of comparing the actual advantages of theaters and home viewing.
200
Nike claims their shoes make running more comfortable. Of course they say that- they make money every time you buy a pair!
Answer: Circumstantial
Why: The advertisement attacks the company's financial motive rather than testing whether the shoes are actually comfortable.
200
A: “She only supports the basketball team because her brother plays on it.”
B: “She supports the basketball team because she's an obnoxious basketball fanatic.”
Answer: A = Circumstantial; B = Abusive
Why: A points to a relationship that supposedly explains her opinion. B attacks her character.
200
Don't listen to Marcus's argument. He couldn't find his own backpack this morning.”
Answer: Abusive
Why: Marcus's forgetfulness doesn't prove his argument wrong.
300
“Ethan says Minecraft can teach problem-solving, but he’s a total gaming nerd.”
Answer: Ad Hominem Abusive
Why: Calling Ethan a “gaming nerd” attacks Ethan instead of examining whether Minecraft actually develops problem-solving skills.
300
“Liam says we should protect sharks, but he’s weird. He actually thinks sharks are cute.”
Abusive
Why: Calling Liam weird attacks him personally. Whether sharks are cute doesn't determine whether they should be protected.
300
Tyler says Roblox is better than Minecraft. Tyler is a complete loser who can't even win a Minecraft match.
Answer: Abusive
Why: Tyler's ability or personality doesn't prove which game is better.
300
A: “You're only defending homework because you're a teacher.”
B: “You're wrong about homework because you're a terrible teacher.”
Answer: A = Circumstantial; B = Abusive
Why: “You're a teacher” describes a circumstance supposedly influencing the argument. “You're a terrible teacher” is a direct personal attack.
300
“Mrs. Webb says running is good for you, but she's a cross-country coach, so obviously she's going to say that.”
Answer: Circumstantial
Why: The statement dismisses the claim because of the speaker's role and interest in the subject instead of considering the evidence about running.
400
“Of course our basketball coach says athletes should practice more. He gets paid to coach us!”
Answer: Ad Hominem Circumstantial
Why: The argument is dismissed because of the coach’s position and circumstances.
400
"Your mom only says you need to go to bed earlier because she’s a parent.”
Circumstantial
Why: Her advice is dismissed because of her role as a parent, rather than considering whether getting more sleep is beneficial.
400
The student council president says we should buy snacks from the Snack Box for the school party. Funny- his brother works there!
Answer: Circumstantial
Why: His family connection could explain a motive, but it doesn't prove Snack Box is a bad choice.
400
A: “Don't trust his argument about the environment. He's a spoiled rich kid.”
B: “Don't trust his argument about the environment. His family owns the company that would profit from this law.”
Answer: A = Abusive; B = Circumstantial
Why: A insults the person. B claims his financial circumstances explain his position.
400
“His argument about the Roman Republic is incorrect because he confused the Roman Senate with the Athenian Assembly.”
Answer: Neither
Why: This identifies an actual problem with his argument.
500
“Don’t believe Ava’s argument about limiting ipad use during class. She’s annoying and thinks she knows everything.”
Answer: Ad Hominem Abusive
Why: The response attacks Ava’s personality rather than giving evidence about whether ipads should be limited.
500
“Caleb says dinosaurs lived millions of years ago. I disagree because the evidence he gave does not actually establish the age of the fossils.”
Answer: Neither!
Why: This challenges Caleb’s evidence, not Caleb. Disagreeing with someone is not automatically an ad hominem.
500
Don't buy SuperZap Soda. One can contains 62 grams of sugar.
Answer: Neither
Why: This gives a claim about the product itself. It may need to be verified, but it isn't attacking the person making the opposing argument.
500
A: “She's wrong because she's selfish.”
B: “She's wrong because the evidence she cited comes from an experiment that couldn't be replicated.”
Answer: A = Abusive; B = Neither
Why: B actually addresses evidence relevant to the argument.
500
“Sarah says students should be allowed to redo failed assignments. Of course she thinks that—she failed the last test.”
Answer: Circumstantial
Why: Sarah's situation may explain why she cares about the issue, but it does not prove her argument is false.