A good prompt isn't magic words — it's structure. This works identically in ChatGPT, Claude, or Gemini. The formula is what matters, not the tool.
The formula
1Context — who you are, what you're doing. "I'm a nurse writing to a patient…"
2Task — what you want, specifically. "…draft a 3-sentence reminder about the appointment."
3Format — how the answer should look. "Warm tone, under 60 words, no medical jargon."
Specific > vague
✗ vague"summarize this"
✓ specific"Write a 3-bullet summary of this email for my boss."
Add constraints so the AI can't guess wrong:
lengthtoneaudiencean example
Iterate — the superpower
Treat the first reply as a draft. Then push it:
- "Make it shorter / friendlier / more formal."
- "Put it in a table."
- "Give me 3 versions to choose from."
- "What did you assume? Ask me before guessing."
Quick wins
- Paste real material (your notes, the email) — don't describe it.
- Ask for the format you'll actually use (email, table, checklist).
- "Explain like I'm new to this" beats jargon.
- Wrong? Tell it what was wrong — it fixes fast.
Steal this template
I'm [who you are], working on [what].
I need you to [the task, specifically].
Format: [length · tone · audience · structure].
Here's what I have: [paste your real notes / material]