Course 1 - Module 2 - Lesson 2
Prompt recipes for learning, writing, comparing, planning, and deciding
Prompts Are Tiny Briefs
Match the recipe to your purpose
Different tasks need different kinds of prompts. For learning, ask for an explanation followed by a question you answer yourself. For writing, specify the reader and the action the reader should take. These instructions make the output useful beyond sounding polished.
For comparing, choose criteria before asking for options. For planning, supply available time and dependencies. For deciding, ask for tradeoffs and missing information, then keep ownership of the choice. A recommendation is only as useful as the assumptions behind it.
Five short recipes to adapt
Try a learning request: 'Explain percentages using a shop discount, then give me one problem without the solution.' A writing request could be: 'Turn these notes into a polite repair request; preserve the dates and ask for a reply by Friday.'
For comparison, ask for a table of two public transport routes using travel time, changes, and uncertainty. For planning, request a two-hour study schedule with a break. For a decision, ask which missing fact could reverse your preferred option.
Choose the right kind of evidence
If route times or other facts can change, use current official information rather than a model's recollection. If you supply the facts yourself, ask the assistant to work only from them and mark gaps. A neat table does not make incomplete evidence complete.
Test the recipe with a small example before saving it. A learning prompt should let you practice, and a plan should fit the time available. Change the recipe when its output fails your real purpose, rather than adding decorative instructions.
Tiny experiment
Choose one small decision, such as when to study. Write a comparison prompt with three criteria and one question about missing information.
Confidence check
Would a question, a draft, a table, or a schedule best help you move forward with that task?