Prompts that get you a better answer

Tips for a better answer

• For anything recent, use an assistant that can search the web, and check the date on what it finds.
• Ask for sources, then open them: an assistant can name a real report and still get what it says wrong.

An example, filled in

I need to get up to speed on heat pumps for deciding whether to replace our gas boiler. What I know already: they run on electricity, and there may be grants. Give me a plain-English briefing of under 300 words: what it is, why it matters, the main points of view, and three terms I’ll hear, each explained in a sentence. Then suggest five good questions to ask an expert. Tell me which parts are well established and which are disputed or changing fast, and say so if your information may be out of date.

Tips for a better answer

• Spot-check two or three findings against the report itself before you rely on the summary.
• Ask “what would someone who disagrees with this report say?” to find its weak points.

An example, filled in

Summarise the report below for my team, who will decide whether to read the full thing. Give me: a three-sentence summary; the five key findings, each with the section or page it comes from; the evidence behind each finding (survey, data, case studies or opinion); and anything a reader might expect that the report doesn’t cover. Quote figures exactly as the report gives them. Write in plain, neutral English, and if the report doesn’t say something, don’t fill the gap. The report: the full text of the council’s public consultation report on changes to local bus routes

Tips for a better answer

• Try it on something you agree with, too. It’s the best way to spot your own blind spots.
• Treat the critique as a list of things to check, not a verdict.

An example, filled in

Act as a careful, fair critic. Read the text below and tell me: the main claim in one sentence; the evidence offered for it; any gaps, leaps in logic or cherry-picked figures; the strongest counter-argument; and what evidence would change your view. Flag any figure I should check at its source. Keep what the text says separate from your own judgement, and mark which of your points are solid and which are a matter of opinion. Be direct but even-handed. Why I’m reading it: deciding whether to start a free trial for my team The text: An advert in my inbox: “Switch to our AI note-taker and save 10 hours a week. Our customers report 300% productivity gains. Join 50,000 happy teams.”