Advanced Placement (AP) English Language and Composition Practice Exam

Which statement describes the undistributed middle fallacy?

1. A premise that distributes the common term appropriately

2. A flaw in syllogism where the middle term is not fully used

3. A valid conclusion based on well-defined premises

4. A logical construction with accurate relationships

The correct answer is: A flaw in syllogism where the middle term is not fully used

The statement that describes the undistributed middle fallacy is accurate because this fallacy occurs specifically in syllogistic reasoning. In a syllogism, there are premises that lead to a conclusion, and the middle term is crucial for establishing a valid relationship between the other two terms. When the middle term is not adequately used or fails to connect the two other terms, it results in a logical fallacy where the conclusion cannot be reliably drawn from the premises. This failure to appropriately utilize the middle term undermines the logical structure of the argument, leading to incorrect conclusions despite the premises being true. The other options do not capture this concept accurately: distributing the common term appropriately suggests effective use of the middle term, a valid conclusion implies sound reasoning rather than a fallacy, and accurate relationships suggest coherence rather than a flaw in logic. Thus, the correct identification of the undistributed middle fallacy centers on the improper usage of the middle term in the argument's structure.