Virginia Communication and Literacy Assessment (VCLA) Practice Test

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Which term could refer to a diversion that misleads an argument away from the topic?

  1. Surreptitious

  2. Irony

  3. Red herring

  4. Onomatopoeia

The correct answer is: Red herring

The term that refers to a diversion that misleads an argument away from the topic is "red herring." This rhetorical device intentionally introduces an irrelevant point or topic to distract from the original issue being discussed. By steering the conversation in a different direction, a red herring can derail logical reasoning and lead the audience away from the main argument. In contrast, the other terms do not serve the same purpose: "surreptitious" relates to something done in a secretive way, "irony" involves a contrast between expectation and reality, and "onomatopoeia" refers to words that imitate sounds. None of these terms reflect the specific function of diverting attention in an argument as effectively as "red herring" does.

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