Writing: Planning, Drafting, Revising and Editing (The Full Process) (B2) - Lesson 2: Drafting Complex Texts Systematically

Writing: The Writing Process

B2 Lesson 2: Drafting Complex Texts Systematically

What you will learn: By the end of this lesson, you will be able to systematically convert a detailed outline into a well-developed first draft.

From Outline to Paragraph ✍️

The drafting stage is the process of "fleshing out" your outline points with full sentences, explanations, and transitions. The main goal is to get your ideas down on paper, focusing on content and flow.

Outline Point:

• Topic Sentence: Constant exposure to curated online lives can lead to anxiety.
• Evidence: People comparing their lives to others' online highlights.
• Explanation: This comparison leads to feeling inadequate.

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Draft Paragraph

First of all, one of the most significant dangers of social media is its negative effect on mental health. Constant exposure to the carefully selected, "perfect" images of other people's lives can lead to strong feelings of anxiety and low self-esteem. For instance, when users scroll through their feeds, they often compare their own normal, everyday lives with the unrealistic highlights of others, such as luxury holidays or perfect relationships. This constant social comparison can create a persistent feeling that one's own life is not good enough, which can be very damaging to a person's sense of self-worth. Therefore, this impact on mental well-being is a serious issue.

Breaking Down the Process

Let's analyze how the outline points were expanded into a full paragraph.

💡 The Topic Sentence from the outline becomes the main idea, clearly stating the paragraph's purpose.

💡 The Evidence point is expanded with specific examples, like "luxury holidays or perfect relationships."

💡 The Explanation point becomes sentences that describe the *effect* of the evidence ("This constant social comparison can create a persistent feeling...").

Your Writer's Toolkit 🛠️

An Advanced Tip: Draft Your Body Paragraphs First

Many experienced writers write the body paragraphs first. After your main arguments are fully developed, it is much easier to write a powerful introduction that perfectly leads into them, and a strong conclusion that summarizes them.

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B2 Systematic Drafting Checklist

• Am I using my outline as a guide for every paragraph?
• Am I expanding each outline point into complete sentences?
• Am I focusing on the content and flow, not on perfect grammar yet?

Practice & Application 🎯

Quiz: What is the Goal of Drafting?

When writing a first draft from a detailed outline, what should be your primary focus?

1. Making sure every word is spelled correctly.
2. Developing the points from your outline into clear, connected paragraphs.
3. Finding the perfect, most interesting hook for your introduction.

→ Answer: B. The main goal of drafting is to develop your ideas and structure. Perfect spelling (editing) and finding the perfect hook (revising) can come later.

Your Writing Mission ⭐

Writing Task: Write Your First Draft

In the previous lesson, your task was to create a detailed outline for an essay. Now, it's time to put your plan into action!

Using the detailed outline you already created, write the complete first draft of your essay. Focus on systematically converting your outline points into well-developed paragraphs. Don't worry about making it perfect!

Key Vocabulary

• First Draft (Noun) | ការព្រាងដំបូង
  The first complete version of a piece of writing.
• Systematically (Adverb) | តាមប្រព័ន្ធ
  According to a fixed plan or system; methodically.
• To flesh out (Verb Phrase) | ពង្រីក
  To add more details to something to make it complete.
• Momentum (Noun) | សន្ទុះ
  In writing, the force and flow of ideas that keeps the text moving forward.