The Islamia University of Bahawalpur

Department of Computer Science

Technical and Business writing

Instructor: Ali Khalid

Lesson: 4

THE WRITING PROCESS AND ITS STAGES

“DRAFTING”

Stages of writing:
The writing process is divided into stages to help writers manage the complexity of
the writing process and to facilitate the development of clear, coherent, and
polished written works. Following are the stages of writing:

1. Prewriting
2. Drafting
3. Revising
4. Editing
5. Publishing

Drafting
Drafting is a stage when you turn ideas into sentences and paragraphs. Take help
from your pre-writing notes, and add details to them. When you draft, just let the
words flow. Later you can look for mistakes in grammar or spelling.

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Subject: Technical and Business writing

Instructor: Ali Khalid

1.The Drafting Stage:

Drafting

Decide the form of

writing

Decide the style of

writing

Create an outline

Write topic
sentence

Write paragraphs

I. Deciding the form of writing

The first thing to do after pre-writing is to decide on the form your writing is going
take.

• Do you want to write an article? Or an essay?

• Do you want to write a letter? or a memo or an email?
• Or maybe it is some non fictional work? Or other forms of creative
writing such as poetry or short fiction.
Deciding the form of your writing is extremely crucial. As it heavily contributes to
the tone that you are going adopt while writing.

II. Style of your writing

The style of writing refers to the unique manner in which a writer expresses their
thoughts, ideas, and emotions through language. It encompasses various elements
such as tone, voice, word choice, sentence structure, and literary devices. Different
styles of writing can evoke different emotions, convey different messages, and
create different effects on the reader.

a) Narrative Writing Style: Tells a story and typically includes characters,

settings, plot, and dialogue.

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Subject: Technical and Business writing

Instructor: Ali Khalid

Example: Novels, short stories, and autobiographies.

b) Descriptive Writing Style: Focuses on describing the details of a person,

place, object, or event using sensory language to create a vivid picture in the
reader's mind.
Example: Travelogues, nature writing, and poetry.

c) Expository Writing Style: Presents information, explains ideas, or clarifies

concepts in a logical and organized manner. It aims to inform or instruct the
reader.
Example: Textbooks, newspaper articles, and how-to guides.

d) Persuasive Writing Style: Aims to convince the reader to adopt a certain

viewpoint or take a specific action by presenting arguments supported by
evidence and reasoning.
Example: Op-ed pieces, advertisements, and political speeches.

III. Creating an outline

An outline is like a blueprint for writing. Simple outlines list the topics you plan to
cover and the order they will go in. Outlines are usually broken up by paragraphs
along with their supporting details like statistical data or logical evidence. When
it’s time to write the first draft, the writer simply follows the outline so they know
what to write about and in what order.

Structuring an outline
Outlines are structured by paragraph: You list the topic of each paragraph along
with a few bullet points about what goes into that paragraph. This allows you to
easily rearrange the order of the paragraphs to find the perfect arrangement before
you begin writing.

The standard outline format uses an alphanumeric system, which alternates letters
and numerals at the start of each section.

1. Main topics like sections or chapters are listed as Roman numerals.

2. Paragraphs are usually listed as capital letters.

3. Points and subtopics within a paragraph are listed as Arabic numerals.

4. Specific details are listed as lower-case letters.

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Subject: Technical and Business writing

Instructor: Ali Khalid

IV. Writing topic sentence

• The topic sentence of a paragraph is a single sentence that sums up what the
paragraph is about.

• The topic sentence comes first in a paragraph, and states the main point of that
paragraph.

• The topic sentence is like a road sign telling your readers where your paragraph
is heading, e.g. if the topic sentence is “Baseball is a boring sport”. The reader
automatically knows what’s ahead: a discussion of why baseball is boring.

• The topic sentence must be focused on a single point.

• The paragraph that tries to take up two topics at once, it is doomed to confuse
the reader as well as the writer as it is hard to keep two topics straight in a
single paragraph, for instance:

Two topics: My neighbourhood is beautiful, and it

has the best bakery in town.

One topic: My neighbourhood is beautiful

Or
One topic: My neighbourhood has the best bakery in town.

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Subject: Technical and Business writing

Instructor: Ali Khalid

V. Writing paragraph

PARAGRAPH

TOPIC SENTENCE SUPPORTING

DETAILS

For writing an ideal paragraph it is extremely crucial to come up with the best
possible topic sentence, followed by coherent and factual supporting details.

A topic sentence needs to have the crux of the idea that the rest of the paragraph is
going to have and the supporting details should further elaborate or support the
topic sentence and make sure to not deviate from its main theme.

The supporting details

Supporting details in paragraph writing are additional pieces of information,
evidence, examples, or explanations that provide further context or elaboration on
the main idea presented in the topic sentence. These details help to strengthen the
argument or narrative by providing specific examples, data, or anecdotes that
support the central point.

Supporting details serve several purposes:

Evidence: They provide evidence or proof to support the main idea or argument
presented in the topic sentence.
Elaboration: They expand upon the main idea by offering additional information,
explanations, or examples.
Clarity: They help to clarify and illustrate the main point, making it easier for the
reader to understand and follow the author's argument or narrative.
Persuasion: In persuasive writing, supporting details can help convince the reader
of the validity of the author's argument by providing compelling evidence or
examples.

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Subject: Technical and Business writing

Instructor: Ali Khalid

Examples of supporting details include:

• Statistical data or research findings
• Anecdotes or personal experiences
• Quotations from experts or authoritative sources
• Examples or case studies
• Facts or historical evidence
• Definitions or explanations

Overall, supporting details play a critical role in paragraph writing by reinforcing

the main idea or argument and enhancing the overall coherence and persuasiveness
of the writing.

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Subject: Technical and Business writing

Instructor: Ali Khalid

a) Example
An example can be used as a supporting detail.
“There’s a lot of useful information available on the internet. For example, I
needed to find out the names of ministers of Pakistan. I went to Yahoo!, entered
“ministers of Pakistan” in the search box, and was directed to a site called
“Pakistan ministry, 2020”. There I found a list of all ministers of Pakistan.
Another time, my father wanted to find the exchange rate for Oman currency to
send money to a Pakistani relative. Again, this information was readily available
on the internet……”

ACTIVITY

Add examples to the following topic

sentence:
Topic sentence: Fasting is beneficial
First example:_____________________
Second example:___________________

b) Fact
A fact is a statement that is accepted or can be verified. Facts add believability to a
paragraph. Following is a verifiable fact: William Shakespeare was born in 1964.
Some facts are simply accepted by everyone because they have never been proven
untrue, e.g. The sun rises in the east.

ACTIVITY
Support the following topic sentence with at least three facts:
Topic sentence: The university cafeteria serves a nutritious menu at
reasonable prices
OR
The university cafeteria serves bad food at high prices

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Subject: Technical and Business writing

Instructor: Ali Khalid

c) Testimony
Testimony is expert opinion that backs up your topic sentence. The expert may be
someone who is recognized in the field or who has had personal experience with
your topic.
EXAMPLE:
Topic Sentence: Vaccinations are crucial for preventing the spread of infectious
diseases.
Supporting Detail with Testimony:
In a study published by the Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in
2020, Dr. Sarah Johnson, a leading epidemiologist, emphasized the importance of
vaccinations in controlling the spread of diseases like measles and mumps.
According to Dr. Johnson's testimony, communities with higher vaccination rates
experience fewer outbreaks of these contagious illnesses. For example, she cited
the case of a recent measles outbreak in a community with low vaccination rates,
where over 100 individuals were infected within a matter of weeks. This testimony
highlights the direct correlation between vaccination rates and disease prevention,
providing compelling evidence for the necessity of widespread immunization
programs.

d) Reasons
Reasons are explanations based on common sense, good judgement, clear thinking,
and logic. This kind of support is most commonly used when a writer is trying to
persuade the reader to change an opinion. However, not every topic sentence can
be supported by reason.

e) Personal Observation
Some topics are strictly personal and must be supported mainly by your own
personal observation. Personal observation includes descriptive details and
examples, e.g.
• My first day on a new job
• My favourite place
• A special friend
• My last summer vacations
The details for any personal topic come solely from memory.

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