See it, copy it, change it

Three fill-in prompts with less and less written for you. Start by changing one word, finish by writing all three parts yourself. By the end the habit is yours.

In this lesson you will

Complete a prompt by filling one slot
Complete a prompt by writing the context and output yourself
Write a full three-part prompt from a blank template

Reading about Task, Context, Output is not the same as doing it. This lesson removes the scaffolding one piece at a time. The first prompt is written for you except one word. The last one is three empty slots. Each can be run.

Step 1: change one thing

Your turn

Only the output slot is yours

What shape should the answer take?

Explain what a mortgage offset account is to someone who has never had a loan.

Context: they are 25, renting, and starting to think about saving for a deposit. They know what a savings account is.

Output: [FORMAT], under 100 words, no jargon.

Hint: Try "one paragraph", then run it again with "three bullet points". Same task, same context, different shape. Notice which you prefer.

Step 2: write the context and the output

Your turn

Task is given; you supply the rest

The situation and any rulesLength, tone, format

Write a short message to a neighbour asking them to move their car, which is blocking my driveway.

Context: [WHAT THEY NEED TO KNOW]

Output: [SHAPE AND TONE]

Hint: The context is where the tone comes from. "We get on fine" and "this is the fourth time and I have asked before" produce very different messages from the same task.

Step 3: all three parts, from nothing

Your turn

Your own prompt

What should it do? Start with a verb.What does it need to know?What shape and tone?

[TASK]

Context: [CONTEXT]

Output: [OUTPUT]

Hint: If you are stuck on the task, pick something you actually need to write this week. Real tasks make better practice than invented ones.

Knowledge check

You filled in Step 3 and got a note that was accurate but stiff and formal. Which part should you change first?

Lesson FAQ

Is there a template for writing AI prompts?

Yes, and it is short: what to do, what to work with, what shape to answer in. Step 3 above is that template with three empty slots. Fill them in plain sentences.

Should I write long prompts?

As long as they need to be and no longer. Length comes from context and output, not from padding. A prompt with two sentences of useful context beats one with a paragraph of preamble.

Can I reuse the same prompt for different tasks?

You can reuse the shape. Keep the three parts, change the words. People who get good at this often keep a few favourite prompts in a note and edit them each time.

Step 1: change one thing

Step 2: write the context and the output

Step 3: all three parts, from nothing

Lesson FAQ

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