Your professor is teaching a class on business. Write a post responding to the professor’s question.

In
your response, you should

 express and support your personal opinion

 make a contribution to the discussion in your own words

An effective response will contain at least 100 words.

Professor: Next week, we’re going to spend a lot of time in class discussing the positive and
negative ways in which companies affect the world around us. Before we start talking about
that in class, I want to hear what you think about the topic. So here’s a question for the
message board: In your opinion, what is the best way for a company to have a positive impact on
society?

Sarah: I believe that companies should focus on making their operations more socially and
environmentally friendly. While charitable giving can be beneficial, it doesn’t address the root
causes of serious social and environmental problems. By doing business in more responsible
ways, companies can have a more meaningful and lasting impact on society. Moreover, if they attract
positive attention from consumers they could inspire other companies to do the same. That’s the only
way we can really solve today’s problems.

John: While those are very good points, I think that companies should focus on charitable
giving. Philanthropy can provide immediate relief to those in need and contribute to the
overall well-being of society right away. It could take years or decades for business changes
to have a positive impact on society, and most people just can’t wait that long.

This is a challenging topic, but I think that companies must concentrate on charitable giving. I strongly
agree with John’s idea that it is an instant help to those in difficult situations. I would add that
companies cannot contribute to solutions of in-depth problems. A government must consider these
issues. While Sarah raised the relevant point that they should decrease the impact on environment, she
didn’t mention that a government not always agrees on more expensive environment-friendly projects. I
would add that companies work in the frames set by the government. For example, a company must
employ workers with appropriate education.
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 This is a challenging topic, but I think that [respond directly to the question].

 I strongly agree with [student]’s idea that [mention one point made by the student].

 I’d add that [expand on the point with your own idea].

 While [other student] raised the relevant point that [mention one point made by the other
student], he/she didn’t mention that [challenge that point].

 For example [elaborate on your challenge with your own ideas].

 While I appreciate the points mentioned by both STUDENT 1 and STUDENT 2, I think that…

 [elaborate on your idea for a few sentences]

 Remember that [elaborate on your point], so [elaborate on your point].

 Some people may feel that [mention a potential challenge], but [respond to this challenge].