[MUSIC] On top of a basic argument of claim and evidence, we can also have what Beasley terms convergent and divergent arguments. A convergent argument is one where two or more reasons lead to the same conclusion in an argument. A convergent argument might run something like this, Mary got kicked out of her parent's place three months ago. She's staying in a friend's place temporarily, but she doesn't have any permanent accommodation. So we can classify Mary as homeless. If we wanted to make a diagram of it, we could number each of the statements that comprise the argument, then make a diagram like this. This argument is in fact an example of a balance of considerations argument. Statements 1 and 3 are those that support the idea that Mary is homeless, while statement 2 might suggest otherwise. Overall the balance of consideration is that Mary is homeless. We can represent this kind of argument like this. In contrast with convergent argument like this, where a number of reason support a conclusion. In divergent arguments, one reason supports several conclusions. An example of a divergent argument might be, John is currently sleeping on the streets, he requires some kind of assistance. He is also at higher risk of violent crime. A divergent argument like the example can be represented like this. Along with convergent and divergent arguments, we also have serial arguments or argument chains. This is where the claims and evidence are linked in cause and effect chains. These argument structures will be dealt with more depth in the next video. Arguments structures can also take on a compound form where more than one reason can be used to support more than one conclusion. Let's look at the following structure as an example. Existing stocks of social housing are quit low, and the government is cutting funding. As a result of this we will no doubt see rising numbers of homeless and increase waiting list for public housing. We can diagram th compound argument like this The arguments structures that we've identified here, simple ones of just a promising conclusion, convergent and divergent arguments, serial arguments or argument chains and compound arguments. And the most common you will find that a local level. However, things get more complex again if we move from looking at argumentation at a local level to a more global level, such as that of a paragraph in an essay or an entire essay. In order to maintain argumentation at this level, these argument structures will be combined to suit the arguer's purpose. Let's take a look at how argument structures can be combined by looking at a paragraph from an academic essay. This is an extract from an essay on what can be done to solve homelessness. Take a minute to read through the extract, and feel free to pause the video. The first sentence is the topic sentence. Which serves more as a rhetorical purpose rather than an argumentative one. Statements 1,2,3, and 4, comprise a balance of consideration argument. With statement 2 being the main claim that young people are significant section of homeless people. And statements 1,3 and 4, positive and negative reason for the claim. Statement 2 then becomes a premise for the claim in 5, that solutions to homelessness need to be targeted specifically at youth, with an implied premise that solutions to homelessness must be tailored to specific groups. Another argument structure then forms with the claim of statement 6, with reasons given in statements 7 and 8. Finally, statements 5 and 6 become reasons for statement 9, that secure housing is a solution to homelessness for young people. Thus we can see that argument structures, when combined in academic argument, can become quite complex. Each claim needs to be supported with a sufficient amount of evidence before proceeding to the next stage. This kind of careful argumentation is a hallmark of writing in academic context, and only serves to make the writer's argument stronger. [MUSIC]
