Text types: Text formats for presenting information

Charts & diagrams

Arguments

Unlike recipes, recounts and stories, arguments are fairly abstract. They are still organised in terms of a sequence, but it is not a time sequence. It is a logical sequence. It is hard to find a 'realistic' diagram for an argument, but we can still describe the stages of an argument visually.

In one type of argument you may give your opinion and then provide points to back up your opinion. These points might be supported by a evidence (such as examples, statistics, anecdotes, and so on). This type of argument usually ends with a conclusion, where the main points are summarised to support your opinion:

Sometimes there are two sides to the argument, so the diagram would have a different pattern, ie stating what the issue is, setting out the points for and the points against, and then concluding by weighing up the points:

For more information on the structure of arguments, see Text types: Arguments: Overview