Prompting for work and study
The four parts of a good request
State the task, the context, the format and the limits. Most weak answers come from missing one of them.
Task, context, format, limits
Task: what you want done. Context: who it is for and what the chatbot needs to know. Format: how the answer should look. Limits: length, tone, language, things to avoid.
"Write an email" leaves out three of the four. The chatbot fills the gaps with guesses.
Before and after
Weak: "Write a notice about fee increase."
Better: "Write a short notice for parents of a small school in Lahore. Fees go up by 8% from 1 January. Polite and clear, under 100 words, in simple English, with a line inviting questions at the office."
Try it
Fix a weak request
Write a job post for a shop assistant.
- Add who the employer is and where.
- Add the format: a short list of duties and requirements.
- Add limits: under 120 words, plain English.
- Run both versions and compare.
What to look for: The second answer should need much less editing. If it still misses, say exactly what is wrong and ask for a revision.
Check yourself
Which of the four parts is missing from: "Summarise this report"?
Show the answer
Context (who it is for), format (bullets, paragraph, length) and limits. Add them: "Summarise this report for my manager in 5 bullets, under 100 words."
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