Type a question and press Enter or choose Perplexity.
If other people can’t understand what you’re asking, the AI probably won’t either.
Clarity improves every stage of interaction. A well-framed prompt makes the AI respond with higher relevance, accuracy, and tone alignment—just as a clear question elicits a clear answer from a human.
“Clear prompts are like clear reference questions — both lead to better answers.”
Goal: Demonstrate how a vague prompt can be refined into a clear, effective one that yields better AI responses.
Original Prompt:
“Tell me about art history.”
Improved Prompt:
“Summarize key developments in Italian Renaissance art between 1400–1600, highlighting the role of patrons like the Medici family. Write in clear, accessible language for an undergraduate audience.”
Tip: A good prompt specifies topic, scope, audience, and desired tone or format.
Goal: Strengthen clarity and relevance when framing a research question for the AI.
Original Prompt:
“What can you tell me about Shakespeare?”
Improved Prompt:
“Provide a concise overview of how Shakespeare’s plays reflect the social and political context of Elizabethan England, using at least two examples.”
Tip: Specific time periods, contexts, and examples guide the AI to produce a focused and useful response.
Goal: Refine an economics question to make it more analytical and applied.
Original Prompt:
“Explain economic rent.”
Improved Prompt:
“Define economic rent and explain how it applies to modern housing markets. Include a short example showing how limited land supply or zoning laws can create economic rent for property owners.”
Tip: Asking the AI to connect theory to real-world examples produces deeper and more relevant answers.
Created by ChatGPT-5 · Edited by Peter Z. McKay · UF AI Library Style
A. Always write long prompts
B. If people can’t understand your question, the AI probably won’t either
C. Use fancy vocabulary to impress the AI
D. Repeat your question three times for emphasis
✅ B. If people can’t understand your question, the AI probably won’t either.
A. Because AIs interpret language like people do
B. Because AIs prefer technical jargon
C. Because short prompts confuse AIs
D. Because AIs memorize every question ever asked
✅ A. Because AIs interpret language like people do.
A. “Fix this.”
B. “Make it sound better.”
C. “Rewrite this paragraph for first-year students in plain language, 150 words, with three bullet takeaways.”
D. “Improve text please.”
✅ C. “Rewrite this paragraph for first-year students in plain language …”
A. Random emojis
B. Context, audience, and format
C. Long quotes from Wikipedia
D. Hidden instructions
✅ B. Context, audience, and format.
🌀 Each iteration improves precision and depth—turning a quick query into a collaborative exchange.
Goal: Frame a clear, specific question that gives the AI enough context to produce a meaningful response.
Example:
Instead of: “Write about climate change.”
Try: “Write a 200-word summary explaining how climate change affects small coastal cities in Florida, using data-based examples and plain language.”
Tip: Include purpose, audience, and output format whenever possible.
Goal: Examine the AI’s response for accuracy, completeness, and tone. Identify what’s missing or unclear.
Example:
The AI’s answer mentions climate data but no local examples. You note that the tone is formal, though your audience is undergraduate students.
Action: Jot down what worked and what needs refinement—facts, style, or structure.
Goal: Adjust or expand your prompt based on what you learned from the review step.
Example:
“Revise the summary to include at least one Florida city (e.g., Miami or St. Augustine) and rewrite it for a general-education audience. Keep it under 250 words.”
Result: The AI now produces a focused, audience-appropriate answer with concrete examples.
Now it’s your turn! Use what you’ve learned in the Ask → Review → Refine process to write your own prompt below. You can copy it, test it, and edit until it clearly expresses your intent. Then paste it into ChatGPT to see how it performs.
Written by ChatGPT (GPT-5) | Edited by Peter Z. McKay
A. Review
B. Ask
C. Revise
D. Retry
✅ B. Ask.
A. Copy the AI’s answer without checking
B. Evaluate accuracy, clarity, and tone
C. Add emojis
D. Change topics entirely
✅ B. Evaluate accuracy, clarity, and tone.
A. You rewrite your prompt to be clearer or more specific
B. You delete everything
C. You tell the AI it was wrong
D. You start over from scratch
✅ A. You rewrite your prompt to be clearer or more specific.
A. It guarantees perfect answers
B. It teaches the AI new facts
C. It helps humans and AI collaborate toward better results
D. It saves time by skipping review
✅ C. It helps humans and AI collaborate toward better results.
A. Ask once → Accept answer → Quit
B. Ask → Review → Refine → Repeat until satisfied
C. Ask → Ignore → Start new chat
D. Refine → Ask → Forget review
✅ B. Ask → Review → Refine → Repeat until satisfied.
