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Prompts
The “order form” for talking to AI
If the model’s answer feels off, the fix is often not “better AI” but a clearer request. That request text is the prompt.
A prompt is the instruction you send
In this context, a prompt is the message you type to steer the system: question, task, or paste-in content plus how you want it handled.
Restaurant metaphor: a vague “I want food” gets unpredictable results. “Hot vegetarian main, mild spice, ready in 10 minutes” is closer to a good prompt—specific, scoped, and testable.
Three habits for stronger prompts
You don’t need jargon. Start with a simple trio:
- Role: “You are a careful line editor” (or a tutor, a translator) sets tone.
- Audience: Who will read the answer—executive, child, non-native speaker?
- Shape: Bullets, table, 200 words, JSON: say what the deliverable should look like.
Summary
- ・A prompt is the instruction (and context) you give the model.
- ・Clarity and constraints usually improve answers more than adjectives.
- ・Start with role, audience, format—iterate from there.
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