Lesson 270 of 2244
Simple Prompt Patterns That Actually Work
Five reusable patterns for asking a chatbot questions — written in plain English, no jargon, no programming.
Adults & Professionals · Prompting · ~4 min read
Five patterns to memorize
- 1Audience: 'Explain ___ as if I am 75 and not a doctor / not a lawyer / new to computers.'
- 2Role: 'Pretend you are a friendly librarian. Help me find ___.'
- 3Format: 'Give me the answer as a bulleted list with no more than 5 items.'
- 4Length: 'Keep it short — under 100 words.'
- 5Follow-up: 'Ask me one question before you answer, so the answer is right for me.'
If the answer is wrong, say so
A chatbot does not get its feelings hurt. 'That was too long.' 'Use simpler words.' 'You got the date wrong — try again.' Each correction makes the next answer better.
The big idea: a good prompt is a clear instruction, plus permission for the AI to ask you a clarifying question.
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