The 4-part prompt
Task, context, format, audience
If you've done Digital Skills for Work, you've met this already. Most weak prompts are missing at least one part.
| Part | Ask yourself | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Task | What exactly do I want? | "Write a short message…" |
| Context | What does it need to know? | "…to my café manager asking to swap my Saturday shift because I have an exam. Sam can cover." |
| Format | How long? What shape? | "Under 80 words, as a text message." |
| Audience | Who will read it? | "My manager is relaxed but likes clear, short messages." |
Weak → strong
Weak:
Write a message about my shift.
Strong:
Write a text message to my café manager asking to swap my Saturday 8am shift because I have an exam that morning. My co-worker Sam has agreed to cover. Keep it under 80 words, polite and friendly. My manager prefers short, clear messages.
The strong prompt is longer — and that's the point. The AI can't read your mind; every detail you leave out, it has to guess.
A quick test
Before you press enter, ask: "If I gave this to a new co-worker who knew nothing about my situation, could they do it well?" If not, add what's missing.
Try it
Think of a real message you need to write this week. Write the weak version and the 4-part version, try both, and compare the results.
Which tool? Claude is for people aged 18 and over. Under 18? Do this activity in Copilot instead (13+).
Downloads
1 file to download once you enrol.