Lesson 72 · 2 min
Choose the shape of the answer
Say how you want the answer laid out, and you skip the wall of text you then have to fix yourself.
Chatbots like to write long. If you do not say otherwise, you often get five paragraphs where three lines would do.
Name the shape. "A table with columns for price, pros and cons." "No more than 5 bullet points." "One paragraph a busy manager can read in 20 seconds." "Numbered steps, one action each."
Limits help more than you would expect. A cap of 5 bullets forces the model to choose what matters most, which is often the hard part of the job.
Pick the shape for where the answer is going. Comparing options suits a table. Instructions suit numbered steps. A message to a friend suits short plain sentences with no headings.
Do it now
Turn a ramble into a table
- 1. Think of two or three things you are choosing between: phones, courses, holiday spots.
- 2. Use the prompt below and ask for a table.
- 3. Then ask for the same thing as 3 bullets and see which helps you decide faster.
Compare [OPTION A], [OPTION B] and [OPTION C] for [WHO / WHAT FOR]. Show it as a table with columns: option, cost, best for, main drawback. Under the table, add one sentence with your pick and why.
Quick check
Words from this lesson
- Prompt
- The instruction or question you give an AI. Clearer prompts with context usually get much better answers.