Task: say exactly what you want — ‘write’, ‘summarise’, ‘list’, ‘explain’.
Context: who it is for and why — ‘for a 10-year-old’, ‘for my landlord’.
Format: how you want it — ‘in 5 bullet points’, ‘under 100 words’, ‘as a table’.
Limits: what to avoid — ‘no jargon’, ‘do not invent statistics’.
Then iterate: ask follow-ups such as ‘make it friendlier’ or ‘give two alternatives’.
Never include private details you would not want stored, such as account numbers or medical records.
Worked example 1
Improve the prompt ‘write about recycling’.
Task: write a short leaflet.
Context: for residents of a block of flats, to reduce wrong items in recycling bins.
Format: 5 bullet points, under 80 words.
Limits: friendly, plain English.
Answer: ‘Write a friendly 5-bullet leaflet (under 80 words) for residents of our flats explaining what can and cannot go in the recycling bins. Use plain English.’
Try it online · print it · check it
Practice questions
Beginner · ages 11+
Writing useful prompts
NameDate
Name the missing part of each prompt: task, context, format or limits.
1.‘Explain photosynthesis.’ — adding ‘for an 8-year-old’ gives…
2.Adding ‘as a table with 3 columns’ gives…
3.Adding ‘do not use technical words’ gives…
4.‘Summarise this article’ — the word ‘summarise’ is the…
5.Should you paste your bank card number into a public chatbot? (yes/no)
Beginner · answersAnswer key
Writing useful prompts — answer key
Name the missing part of each prompt: task, context, format or limits.
1.‘Explain photosynthesis.’ — adding ‘for an 8-year-old’ gives…context
2.Adding ‘as a table with 3 columns’ gives…format
3.Adding ‘do not use technical words’ gives…limits
4.‘Summarise this article’ — the word ‘summarise’ is the…task
5.Should you paste your bank card number into a public chatbot? (yes/no)no
Tips
Common mistakes
One-word prompts, then blaming the tool.
Accepting the first answer without follow-up questions.
