Write better at work with AI, and still sound like you
Use AI as an editor, not a ghostwriter. Prompts to make your writing clearer, shorter and friendlier, plus how to check the tone before you send something tricky.
Video transcript
Stuck on an awkward email, or a report that won’t come together? AI can help, and you can still sound like yourself.
In a 2023 study published in Science, professionals using ChatGPT finished writing tasks in 40 per cent less time, and their work was rated 18 per cent better.
The trick is to write the first draft yourself, then let AI edit it. That way the ideas, and the voice, stay yours.
Give it context: who it’s for, what you want them to do, and a sample of your writing so it can match your style.
Then be specific. Ask it to make your draft clearer, shorter, friendlier or more direct. It can also draft a reply, or turn bullet points into a report.
Before you send something difficult, ask how it might land with the person reading it. And ask for honest criticism, because AI tends to tell you what you want to hear.
But your name is on it. AI can slip in facts you never gave it, so check every claim, and make sure it still sounds like you.
Grab the prompts from the full guide below, and try one on the next email you’re dreading.
In 30 seconds
- Write the first draft yourself, then use AI as an editor, not a ghostwriter.
- Give it context and a sample of your writing, then ask for something specific.
- Your name is on it: check every fact, and read it as if you were the recipient.
You’ve rewritten the same awkward email four times, and it still sounds either grovelling or rude. AI can get you unstuck in a minute, without making you sound like a corporate brochure.
less time spent on professional writing tasks by people using ChatGPT, with the quality of their work rated 18% higher, in a 2023 study of 453 professionals.
Source: Noy and Zhang, Science, Experimental evidence on the productivity effects of generative artificial intelligence, July 2023An editor, not a ghostwriter
The best results come when you write first and AI edits. You keep your ideas, your knowledge of the people involved and your voice. It tidies the structure, trims the waffle and points out what’s unclear.
A good Jargon busterPrompt: What you type or say to an AI to tell it what you want. gives it context: who the reader is, what you want them to do and the tone you’re after. Better still, paste in a few paragraphs you’ve written before and ask it to match your style.
Here’s a sample of my writing, so you can match my style: [paste two or three paragraphs you’ve written]. Now edit the draft below for [who it’s for]. Make it clearer and more direct, keep my meaning and my phrasing where you can, and don’t add anything new. Then list your main changes. Draft: [paste your draft]
Ask for something specific
“Make this better” gets you generic polish. Say exactly what you want changed, and what must stay.
| Instead of… | Try… |
|---|---|
| “Make this better.” | “Make this clearer for a busy manager. Keep my wording where you can.” |
| “Shorten this.” | “Cut this to 100 words. Keep the deadline and the request.” |
| “Make it nicer.” | “Make this friendlier, but keep the firm ‘no’.” |
| “Fix the tone.” | “Make this more direct. Put what I need in the first line.” |
| “Write a reply.” | “Draft a reply that says yes, but moves the meeting to Thursday. Three sentences.” |
| “Turn this into a report.” | “Turn these bullet points into a one-page report for the board, with a summary first.” |
Check the tone before you send
Before you send something difficult, such as a complaint, a refusal or a reply to someone who’s already annoyed, ask how it might land. It’s like having a calm colleague read it over your shoulder.
I’m about to send this to [who] about [the situation]. How is it likely to come across? Point out anything that sounds rude, defensive, passive-aggressive or unclear. Then suggest a calmer version that still makes my point. [paste your message]
Ask for honest criticism rather than praise. AI tends to agree with you, a habit called Jargon busterSycophancy: When an AI tells you what you want to hear, agreeing with you instead of giving an honest view., so “What’s the weakest part of this?” gets a more useful answer than “Is this good?”
Your name is on it
AI can slip in a fact you never gave it, a Jargon busterHallucination: When AI states something false as if it were true, because it predicts plausible words rather than checking facts., or smooth a careful sentence into something you’d never say. Read the final version as if you were receiving it, and check every name, date and number.
For quick fixes as you type, writing assistants such as Grammarly work inside your email and documents. For bigger rewrites, try a chat assistant such as Claude or ChatGPT, or Microsoft Copilot if your work uses Microsoft’s apps.
Keep confidential details out unless the tool is approved: see using AI at work safely. And for more on asking well, read how to write a good prompt.
Check yourself
3 quick questions nothing is savedTools in this guide
- GGrammarlyWriting assistant for grammar, tone and rewrites in most apps and browsers.
- CClaudeAnthropic’s assistant, strong at long documents, careful writing and code.
- CChatGPTOpenAI’s general-purpose assistant for writing, questions, analysis and images.
- MMicrosoft CopilotMicrosoft’s assistant across Windows, Edge and Microsoft 365 apps.
Sources (1)
- Experimental evidence on the productivity effects of generative artificial intelligenceNoy and Zhang, Science, July 2023
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