Lesson 3: Rewrite a weak prompt (first writing practice)

Rewriting a weak prompt is a diagnostic process: you read the original, identify which of the four blocks (role, context, task, format) is absent or vague, then fill in each one deliberately. The goal is not a longer prompt — it is a more precise one. Here is a fully worked example. Weak prompt: "Write an email to a customer." What is missing? ROLE — no persona or company type; CONTEXT — no reason for the email, no customer situation; TASK — "write an email" is ambiguous (apology? update? offer?); FORMAT — no length, no tone, no structure. Strong rewrite: "[ROLE] You are a customer-support lead at a SaaS company. [CONTEXT] A customer emailed to say their account was incorrectly charged twice for this month's subscription. We have confirmed the error and will refund the second charge within 3 business days. [TASK] Write a reply apologizing for the error, confirming the refund timeline, and thanking them for their patience. [FORMAT] Use a professional but warm tone. Three short paragraphs: apology, refund details, closing. 120 words maximum." The rewrite eliminates all guesswork. The model now knows who it is, what happened, what to do, and what the output should look like. Use this self-check checklist before sending any prompt: (1) ROLE — did I say who the model should be and who the audience is? (2) CONTEXT — did I give the background and relevant inputs? (3) TASK — is my action verb specific and unambiguous? (4) FORMAT — did I specify structure, length, and tone? (5) CONSTRAINTS — did I say what to avoid, what to rely on, or what not to assume? If you answered "no" to any of these, add the missing piece. One iteration is rarely enough — expect to refine.