Recognize that a fallacy that does not rest on an illegitimate appeal to emotion often works by garbling the structure of a good argument.

Understand the basic concept entailed in every variety of ad hominem fallacy and why it makes for a bad argument.

• Understand that good reasoning depends on a clear and steadily maintained distinction between the person making a claim and the claim itself.
• Differentiate among the most common breeds of ad hominem fallacies: the personal attack, the inconsistency ad hominem, the circumstantial ad hominem, poisoning the well, the genetic fallacy, and also certain positive ad hominem fallacies.

Understand how certain fallacies begin with sound principles of logic or argumentation and only distort or misapply them.

• Recognize the fallacy known as the straw man and understand the difference between it and the legitimate refutation of a contrary position.
• Identify varieties of the false dilemma, which begins with a rational principle about alternatives.
• See the difference between a false dilemma and its logical (non-fallacious) counterpart.
• Differentiate among the false dilemma itself and the related perfectionist fallacy and the line-drawing fallacy.

Understand the type of fallacy commonly called "slippery slope" and how to identify examples of it.

• Realize that a reliance on unfounded claims (about what leads to what else) is the telling mark that makes an argument a case of the slippery slope.

Understand the kinds of fallacies that have to do with illogical refusals to give arguments in exactly those situations that call for arguments.

• Understand the fallacy of misplacing the burden of proof and be able to identify it.
• Learn the rules that help to specify which side of a given issue actually has the burden of proof.
• Understand the role of initial plausibility in determining the burden of proof.
• Understand the very special case of illogicality known as begging the question and how to spot instances of begged questions.