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Lesson 2 of 58 min read

Your first prompt

How to ask AI so you get answers you can actually use.

An AI chatbot only knows what you tell it. A short, vague prompt gets a short, generic answer. A clear prompt with a little context gets an answer you can actually use.

The 4 parts of a good prompt

  1. Role: who should the AI act as?
  2. Task: what exactly do you want?
  3. Context: who is it for, and what do they already know?
  4. Format: length, structure and tone of the answer.

You do not need all four every time, but the more of them you include, the better the result usually gets.

Example

prompt
You are a friendly fitness coach.
Make a 3-day beginner workout plan I can do at home.
I have no equipment and 20 minutes a day.
Give it as a table: day, exercise, sets, reps.
  • Role: friendly fitness coach
  • Task: a 3-day beginner workout plan
  • Context: at home, no equipment, 20 minutes a day
  • Format: a table with four columns

Weak prompt vs strong prompt

WeakStrong
tell me about exerciseList 5 easy exercises for office workers who sit all day. One line each on how to do it safely.
write an emailWrite a short, polite email to my manager asking to move Friday's meeting to Monday. Keep it under 80 words.
help me studyMake 10 flashcards (question and answer) from the notes below for a beginner biology exam.

Talk to it like a conversation

Your first answer does not have to be perfect. The real power of chatbots is that you can reply and refine:

  • "Make it shorter."
  • "Use simpler words."
  • "Give me three different versions."
  • "Turn this into bullet points."
  • "That is too formal; make it friendly."
Tip: when an answer is close but not right, say exactly what to change. This is faster than writing a brand-new prompt.

Try it now

Use the template below. Replace the brackets with your own details.

prompt
You are a [role].
[Task: what you want].
Context: [who it is for, what they know, any limits].
Format: [length, structure, tone].

Key takeaways

  • Give the AI a role, a task, context and a format.
  • Be specific about length and audience.
  • If the answer is off, reply with what to change instead of starting over.