07
Lesson 7 · 2 min
The four-part prompt
Good answers come from prompts with four parts: a role, a task, some context, and a format.
Most bad AI answers come from short, vague prompts. "Write an email" gives the model almost nothing to work with, so it guesses.
Add four parts. Role: who should it act as? Task: what exactly should it do? Context: who is it for, and what does it need to know? Format: how long, what shape, what tone?
You do not need all four every time. But when an answer disappoints, one of them is usually missing. Context is the one people forget most.
Try it below: switch each part on and off and watch the answer improve.
Build a better prompt
Start with the vague prompt. Switch on each ingredient and watch the answer change.
Write about our product launch.
Exciting news! We're thrilled to announce the launch of our innovative new product. It's designed to make your life easier and better. Our team has worked incredibly hard to bring you something truly special. Stay tuned for more details, and don't miss out on this game-changing launch!
- No role: the AI writes in a bland, everyone-and-no-one voice.
- No task detail: the AI has to guess what the product even is.
- No context: no date, price or audience, so the post can't say anything real.
- No format: length and shape are left to chance.
Do it now
Rewrite a lazy prompt
- 1.Think of something you asked AI recently that gave a so-so answer.
- 2.Fill in the four parts in the template below.
- 3.Compare the new answer with the old one.
You are [ROLE, e.g. an experienced HR manager]. Task: [WHAT YOU WANT, e.g. write a polite reply declining a job candidate]. Context: [WHO IT IS FOR AND KEY FACTS]. Format: [LENGTH, STRUCTURE AND TONE, e.g. under 120 words, warm but clear].
Words from this lesson
- Prompt
- The instruction or question you give an AI. Clearer prompts with context usually get much better answers.
- Chatbot
- A program you talk to in everyday language by typing or speaking, which replies in the same way.