SHIFTS IN FOCUS AND SCOPE DURING ARGUMENTATION

The paper considers how argumentation retains its coherence and sugges ts that each subconclusion references other subconclusions in several ways. These references can be analysed for distance and canonicality t o discover relevance and hence coherence. An argument focus is a small number of subconclusions including the current one, which have small referential distance. When participants choose a conclusion in a new f ocus to reference, either by attacking, supporting, elaborating or con tinuing it, then a focus shift occurs. This is marked pragmatically by reference to subjects of current talk, and so pronouns referencing th e current focus are prominent. Argument proceeds by referencing from p remises to conclusions using inference warrants. The last conclusion c an form the next premise in what becomes a chain. All chainable conclu sions are within the argument's scope. Scope shift occurs when people feel the debate is not sufficiently deep or broad, and is marked pragm atically by means of references to new subjects or new sources of subj ects.