Writing good prompts for AI
The quality of an AI response depends on your question. A clear prompt makes all the difference.
Give context and assign a role
AI responds better when it knows who it's helping and why. Provide context: your level, the goal, the target audience. You can also assign a role — for example, act as a tough editor or a patient teacher. Instead of saying 'fix this text', say 'fix this internship application email — professional tone, English-speaking audience.' The more specific, the more useful.
Specify the output format
If you don't say anything, AI picks a format at random. Tell it what you want: a bulleted list, a table, a short paragraph, commented code, a particular tone. You can also set a length. Asking for 'an explanation in five simple points' gives a far more usable result than a vague request. Format saves you a ton of time.
Iterate instead of asking for everything at once
Good results rarely come from the first prompt. Work in stages: get a draft, then ask for specific adjustments. Shorter. More formal. Add an example. Rephrase this part. This back-and-forth approach produces far better results than one giant prompt. It's a conversation, not a vending machine.
Apply it now
- Specify context, goal, and audience
- Assign a role to the AI when relevant
- Indicate the desired format and length
- Provide an example of the expected output if possible
- Refine through back-and-forth iterations