The authors focus their attention on the analysis of the non-literary text, containing reasoning about the modern economic phenomenon “Startup”. The analysis allows to reveal clear linguistic and extra-linguistic bases for the differentiation of three main types of texts, that exist in the mental field: explanation, argumentation and instruction. The analysis also shows the interrelation of explanation, argumentation and instruction within the frame of the reasoning model. In the mean time, the authors demonstrate the linguistic and methodological potential of the analysed text. The presented model of learning the structural and notional peculiarities of texts can be implemented to work with students (not only with this text, but with texts of this kind in general). The materials of the article are useful for Russian teachers, who prepare their students for the Russian Unified State Exam, the final essay or PISA