Course 7, lesson 63 of 100, Ages 10+
Prompting like a pro
Context, examples and format
Like I’m 5
Asking AI is like ordering food. ‘Food, please’ gets you anything. ‘A cheese sandwich cut into triangles’ gets you exactly what you wanted.
The big idea
A prompt is the instruction you give an AI. Great prompts include context (who it's for), the task, examples of what you like, and the format you want, like a list or a short paragraph.
Compare 'write about dogs' with 'write a 100-word funny story for an eight-year-old about a dog who learns to skateboard, with a happy ending'. The second gives the AI everything it needs.
Examples
- Context: 'I'm a beginner' changes how much the AI explains.
- Examples: Showing one sample answer helps it match your style.
- Format: 'Answer in three bullet points' keeps it tidy.
How it works
- Give context: who it’s for, why you need it, and what you already know.
- Show an example of what good looks like. AI copies the style of examples very well.
- Ask for a format, like a table, a list or five sentences, then improve it with follow-up questions.
Check your understanding
- What helps an AI copy the style you want?
- Options: Showing it an example; Typing in capital letters; Asking very quickly.
Answer: Showing it an example. Examples show exactly what good looks like, so the AI can match it. - Which prompt will probably give a better result?
- Options: A specific prompt with audience, length and style; A single vague word; A prompt in random letters.
Answer: A specific prompt with audience, length and style. Specific prompts give the AI the details it needs.
Remember
Context, examples and format make prompts work.
Talk about it
How would you ask for the perfect birthday cake?
Go deeper
Strong prompts state the task, audience, constraints and output format. Few-shot prompting includes worked examples; asking the model to reason step by step can help on hard problems; and treating the prompt like a draft you improve beats trying to write the perfect one first time.