Write a clear prompt: task, context, format

A prompt is the message you send to an AI. Vague prompts get vague answers.

"Write an email to my manager" tells the model (the AI behind the chat tool) almost nothing. It doesn't know the topic, the deadline, your relationship with your manager, or what a good answer looks like. So it guesses, and you fix the guess.

Good prompts aren't long. They're specific, with three parts:

• Task starts with a verb: write, summarize, rewrite, compare, plan, draft. One verb keeps the model on a single job.
• Context is the background it can't see: who the reader is, why you need this, the key facts, deadlines and limits.
• Format is what the answer should look like: length, structure, tone. "120 words or less, subject line first, friendly and direct" is a format.

Two more parts help when the job needs them. A role sets the point of view, such as "act as an experienced hiring manager" (who decides who gets hired). An example shows the style you want: paste one sample of good work for the model to copy.

A strong version

Task: Write an email asking my manager to move a project deadline.

Context: I am a customer support specialist at a software company. My manager
is Priya. We agreed to send the new help center articles on Friday. Two writers
are on leave this week and the product team renamed the features on Wednesday.
I want the deadline moved to next Wednesday.

Format: 120 words or less. Subject line first. Friendly and direct. Suggest the
new date and offer a short plan for getting it done.

Avoid: blaming anyone, long explanations, and dramatic apologies.

Try it