The phrase "a common fallacy that" is correct and usable in written English.
It can be used when discussing misconceptions or erroneous beliefs that are widely held.
Example: "There is a common fallacy that all fat is bad for you, when in fact some fats are essential for a healthy diet."
Alternatives: "a widespread misconception that" or "a frequent error that".
Marvin C. Fields Pittsburgh, Aug. 7, 2009 To the Editor: Your editorial includes a common fallacy that has long clouded discussion of the relative merits of fuel economy standards and gas taxes.
There's a common fallacy that anyone can review a film.
It is a common fallacy that all are on massive hourly rates.
Actually, they are more shrubs than trees - it's a common fallacy that beavers fell big trees.
It is a common fallacy that physics is only about what has already been confirmed in experiments.
Marshall Schuon provided some sound advice about winter driving ("Getting From Here to There -- Safely," About Cars, Dec. 16), but he perpetuated a common fallacy that wide tires "provide less downweight per square inch" than narrow tires.
The trench is flooded, controversially: the promoters had promised flooded, smoky trenches and are anxious not to disappoint, but Whithorn in anxious to dispel the common fallacy that the Somme was entirely fought in rain and mud.
There are a number of common fallacies that begin with the Latin prefix 'ad'to'tor or 'toward') and the most common of these will be described next.
A common fallacy is that it's tough for working class kids to go to top universities because they have to leave their families' values behind.
"A common fallacy is that we can simply allocate the time for each task," writes Autumn, a father of two who has produced highly cited research and holds seven patents.
The real case against Intelligent Design comes in Chapter 4 ("Debating Intelligent Design"), where Shermer identifies common fallacies that underlie challenges to evolution and considers the ten best arguments for an intelligent designer.
