Module 2: Anatomy of a Good Prompt

You know what a prompt is – your instruction to the AI. Now, let's dissect what makes a really good prompt work its magic. Think of it like a recipe: the right ingredients yield the best results.

While simple prompts work, effective ones often contain key ingredients. You don't always need all of them, but knowing them helps you build powerful prompts when precision matters.

The 5 Key Ingredients:

1. TASK: What should the AI do? (Write, explain, summarize, list, create, compare, brainstorm?)
   Example: "Write a short story..."
2. CONTEXT: What background info is needed? (Situation, setting, characters?)
   Example: "...about a lonely robot living on Mars..."
3. PERSONA (Optional): Who should the AI pretend to be? (Pirate, expert, teacher, cat?)
   Example: "...Write as if you are the robot itself, feeling sad but hopeful."
4. FORMAT: How should the answer look? (List, paragraph, table, poem, email?)
   Example: "...Present the story as a diary entry."
5. TONE: What feeling should it convey? (Funny, serious, formal, casual, enthusiastic?)
   Example: "...Make the tone slightly melancholic but optimistic at the end."

Putting It All Together:

"(TASK) Write a short story (CONTEXT) about a lonely robot on Mars. (PERSONA) Write as the robot, sad but hopeful. (FORMAT) Present as a diary entry. (TONE) Make it melancholic but optimistic at the end."

See how adding ingredients clarifies the request? The AI has a much better recipe!