Question

Composing powerful paragraphs is essential when striving for clear communication. Familiarize yourself with basic paragraph elements, various paragraph patterns, and strategies for building coherence.

Use the following paragraphs to answer the questions that follow.

Paragraph A: Last week, three of our Xcite executives closed a lucrative merger deal with Editionplus. The merger will add more than 500 accounts to our business and will increase our profits by 39 percent in less than a year. Additionally, the executives met with several Editionplus product designers and agreed on three new computer prototypes that we will produce during the next five years. This means we will expand our business to both Los Angeles and Las Vegas.

Paragraph B: Employee reaction has been mixed about our recent plans to expand to Las Vegas and Los Angeles. Many Xcite employees are concerned that the Los Angeles site will not have the same relaxed corporate environment as the current site. However, this is not the case: The relaxed corporate environment at the San Francisco site will be replicated in Los Angeles. The culture we have developed works for the company and our employees, and we don't plan to change it. Human resources executives are already interviewing San Francisco employees so they can capture and replicate the culture with ease.

Paragraph C: The leadership at the Xcite San Francisco site has been phenomenal during the last ten years. Everyone in senior-level positions has worked his or her way up the corporate ladder and has contributed greatly to the company's success. This team has increased our profits by 6 percent, expanded office space, hired additional IT support, and strengthened our IT infrastructure. These are just a few of this leadership team's many accomplishments. In the next two months, a new leadership team will be formed for the Los Angeles site. This team will consist of transferred employees from the San Francisco site. We will be offering many of you a chance to be part of this move. Additional training will be required for all who are transferring, and moving costs will not be covered. Xcite looks forward to opening another location with excellent products, high profits, and 100 percent employee and customer satisfaction.

Required:
1. Which paragraph or paragraphs use the pivoting approach?

a. A, C
b. B
c. A

2. What is the main idea of Paragraph A?

Answer 1

1. Which paragraph or paragraphs use the pivoting approach?

• b. B

Pivoting writing uses the words even though, however, but, in spite off, etc., to pivot back to the main idea of the paragraph. In paragraph B, it starts talking about employee concerns about a bad corporate environment in the new offices (in Los Angeles or Las Vegas), and then it assures that this will not happen. It affirms that the company is taking care of the issue and the corporate environment in LA will be the same as in San Francisco.

2. What is the main idea of Paragraph A?

If informs the reader that the company just closed a merger with Editionplus and that soon profits should increase, new products will developed and the company will grow.