Prompts that get you a better answer

Tips for a better answer

• Bullet points are fine for your notes, even scrappy ones. The AI finds the words; you make the decisions.
• Not quite right? Reply with what to change, such as “warmer, and shorter”, rather than starting again.

An example, filled in

Help me reply to an email. It’s from Sam, a colleague in another team I’ve worked with a few times, and it’s about joining a project kick-off and writing up a summary report afterwards. What I want to say, in rough notes: yes to the kick-off on Tuesday at 2pm; no to the report this month, as I’m on leave; happy to help with the next one. Write a reply of no more than four sentences, in a friendly tone. Use plain English and UK spelling, and don’t add anything I haven’t said. Give me two versions to choose from.

Tips for a better answer

• A clear no near the start is kinder than one buried in apologies. Ask the AI to check it can’t be read as a maybe.
• Read it aloud before you send it. If you wouldn’t say it to their face, change it.

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I need to turn down a request and keep a good relationship. The request: give a talk at a charity quiz night on 14 March. It’s from Jo, who runs our local residents’ group; we’ve met a few times. My reason, if I want to share it: I’m away that weekend. What I can offer instead: I could record a two-minute video message for them to play on the night. Write a short message, under 100 words, that says no clearly in the first two sentences, thanks them, and doesn’t over-apologise or make excuses. Make it warm. Give me one version for email and one for a text or chat message.

Tips for a better answer

• Send the actions within a day, while everyone still remembers agreeing to them.
• Working from a transcript instead of notes? Check the actions against it: AI can mix up who said what.

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Here are my rough notes from a meeting about planning the summer open day: open day 21 June. JB to book marquee? budget 2k max. KT posters by end May. need volunteers, who asks? parking: talk to the school. Turn them into three sections: Decisions, Actions (as a table with Action, Owner and Due date) and Open questions. Only use what’s in my notes: if an action has no owner or date, write “to agree” rather than guessing. Keep it short, clear and friendly enough to paste into an email to everyone who was there.

Tips for a better answer

• Ask for “no jargon”, and name any word your line of work overuses.
• Compare the two versions side by side. You decide which changes to keep.

An example, filled in

Edit the text below so it’s clearer and shorter, for parents at our primary school. Use plain English, short sentences and UK spelling. Keep my meaning, my facts and my voice, and don’t add new points. Aim for about 60 words. Then list the three biggest changes you made and why, so I can learn from them. My text: Further to recent communications, we would like to take this opportunity to remind all parents and carers that, with effect from Monday 3 March, the school gates will be locked at 8.50am promptly, and any pupils arriving subsequent to this time will be required to enter via the main office, where they will be signed in.

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.

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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

• Describe the columns, not the data: you don’t need to paste any real figures or names.
• Test the formula on a few rows you can add up yourself before you trust it with the rest.

An example, filled in

I use Google Sheets. My data is in these columns: A: date of the sale, B: product name, C: amount in pounds, D: paid (Yes or No). It runs from row 2 to row 200. Write a formula for cell F2 that adds up the amounts in column C for sales marked No in column D. Then explain how it works in plain English, one part at a time, and tell me how to check it on a few rows by hand. If my request could mean more than one thing, ask me before you answer.

Tips for a better answer

• Answer its questions honestly, then ask it to sum up what your answers suggest.
• For decisions about money, the law or your health, use this to get your thoughts in order, then talk to a qualified adviser.

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Help me think through a decision. I’m choosing between staying in my job or taking a new one with a longer commute and £3,000 more a year. What matters most to me: time with my children, learning new skills, a steady income. My situation: the new job is 50 minutes each way by train; my current job is a 15-minute walk. For each option, give me the pros, the cons and the biggest risk, in a table. Then ask me three questions that would help me decide. Be kind but honest. Don’t make the decision for me, and don’t assume anything about my situation that I haven’t told you.

Tips for a better answer

• Add one real detail, such as who baked it or why: specifics beat superlatives.
• Check every claim before you post. If you can’t back it up, take it out.

An example, filled in

Write a Instagram post for a family-run bakery in Bristol that makes sourdough and cakes. It’s about our new gluten-free loaf, on sale from Saturday. The people I want to reach: local people who can’t eat gluten, and their families. What I want them to do: come in and try a free sample this weekend. Keep it under 80 words, in a friendly tone that sounds like a person, not an advert. No hype, no more than three hashtags, and no claims I haven’t given you. Give me three versions with different opening lines.

Tips for a better answer

• Describe the complaint in your own words instead of pasting it: the AI doesn’t need their name, address or order number.
• Check your company’s policy before you offer a refund or a replacement.

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Write a reply to a customer complaint. What they’re unhappy about, in my words: their sofa was delivered two weeks late, and the driver didn’t call ahead, so they took a day off work for nothing. What went wrong on our side, if anything: our delivery partner changed the date without telling us. What we can offer: a £50 refund on the delivery charge, and a direct number for our delivery manager. Thank them, say sorry for the specific problem (not a general “sorry for any inconvenience”), explain what happens next and when, and end with a direct way to reach us. Under 150 words, warm and professional, with UK spelling. Write CUSTOMER where their name goes, and don’t promise anything beyond what I’ve said we can offer.

Tips for a better answer

• If an explanation doesn’t click, ask for a different everyday example.
• For decisions about your own money, use this to learn the basics, then talk to a qualified mortgage adviser.

An example, filled in

Explain how interest rates affect mortgages to me. My level: complete beginner. Why I want to know: we’re thinking about buying our first home. Start with a one-sentence explanation, then a short one with an everyday example. Keep the tone friendly and avoid jargon; if you need a technical term, explain it. Then ask me two questions to check I’ve understood, and wait for my answers before going further. If any of what you tell me is debated, or you’re unsure about it, say so.

Tips for a better answer

• Check anything surprising in its answers against your textbook or class notes: AI can be confidently wrong.
• Explaining an answer in your own words helps it stick better than picking from options.

An example, filled in

Quiz me on the causes of the First World War. I’m studying at GCSE history. Ask me one question at a time, and wait for my answer. After each answer, tell me whether I’m right and explain why in a sentence or two, then make the next question harder if I got it right, or easier if I didn’t. Mix the question types: multiple choice, short answers and explaining in my own words. Be encouraging. After ten questions, sum up what I know well and what to revise. If my notes and your knowledge disagree, point it out so I can check. My notes: Alliances: Triple Entente and Triple Alliance. Militarism: an arms race, especially in navies. Imperialism: competition for colonies. Nationalism: tension in the Balkans. The trigger: the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand, 28 June 1914.

Tips for a better answer

• Don’t paste reference numbers, account details or anything a stranger could use to pretend to be you.
• If the letter is about money you owe, a legal matter or your benefits, check what it means with the sender, or a free adviser such as Citizens Advice.

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Explain this letter in plain English. It’s from the council, and I’ve removed my name, address and account numbers. Tell me: what it’s about, in one sentence; what I need to do, if anything, and by when; what happens if I don’t; and what any unusual words mean. Then list questions I could ask them if I’m unsure. Keep it calm and simple. If the letter is unclear, say so rather than guessing, and tell me if I should get advice from somewhere like Citizens Advice. The letter: Council Tax: review of Single Person Discount. Your entitlement to Single Person Discount is under review. Please complete and return the enclosed declaration within 21 days. Failure to respond may result in the discount being removed from your account.

Tips for a better answer

• Check your consumer rights on the Citizens Advice website before you send it.
• Keep copies of everything, with dates. If it goes further, your timeline is your evidence.

An example, filled in

Help me write a complaint to an online electrical shop. What happened, in order: ordered a washing machine on 2 May; it was delivered on 9 May; it leaks; I called on 10 and 13 May and was promised a call back that never came. What I’ve already tried: two phone calls and one email with photos. What I want: a replacement machine, delivered and installed. Write a polite, firm letter of under 250 words: a clear subject line, the facts in order, what I want and by when (suggest a fair deadline, such as 14 days), and what I’ll do if it isn’t sorted out. Don’t exaggerate, and don’t quote laws or rights unless you’re sure they apply: instead, suggest where I can check my rights.

Tips for a better answer

• Change one thing at a time between versions, so you learn what each part of the prompt does.
• Check the image tool’s rules on how you may use what it makes, especially for anything you sell.

An example, filled in

Turn my rough idea into a detailed prompt for an AI image tool. My idea: a cosy bookshop on a rainy evening, with a cat asleep in the window. It’s for the cover of our book club’s winter newsletter. Write a prompt that covers the subject, the setting, the style (such as watercolour, photo or flat illustration), the colours and mood, the composition and viewpoint, and what to leave out. Give me three versions in different styles, each under 80 words, written as clear, plain description. Avoid real people’s names, and well-known brands, characters or artists’ styles.

Tips for a better answer

• Write the headlines first. If they tell the story on their own, the presentation works.

An example, filled in

Help me plan a ten-minute presentation to parents at a school information evening about our new reading scheme. The one thing I want them to remember: ten minutes of reading at home each day makes a real difference. What I want them to do afterwards: sign up for the reading diary app. Give me a slide-by-slide plan, about one slide a minute. For each slide: a headline that states its point; what goes on it (a picture, a chart, a few words or a quote); and what I say, in two or three bullet points. Open with something that grabs attention, and end with the action. Keep the words on slides to a minimum, and the tone warm and confident.