Shaping the request · Lesson 2 of 8
Context and instructions
Separate the background the AI needs from the task you want done, so it understands your situation and knows exactly what to do with it.
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Two ingredients, two jobs
Most strong prompts contain two distinct ingredients:
- Context — the background the AI can't know on its own: who you are, who the audience is, what's already happened, what material to work from.
- Instructions — the task itself: what to produce, how, and to what standard.
Weak prompts usually have one without the other. "Write a reply" is an instruction with no context. A pasted email thread with no request is context with no instruction. When both are present — and clearly separated — results improve dramatically.
Context: what the AI doesn't know
An AI assistant starts each conversation knowing nothing about your job, your project, your customer or your deadline (unless your tool has a memory feature, and even then it only knows what's been saved). Anything you'd explain to a smart new colleague, you should explain to the AI.
Useful context usually answers some of these:
- Who is this for? (A client, your manager, a 12-year-old, yourself.)
- Why do you need it? (To get approval, to apologise, to study for an exam.)
- What has already happened? (Previous emails, earlier drafts, decisions made.)
- What material should it use? (A document, data, notes you paste in.)
Write an email asking for an extension.
Context: I'm a second-year university student. My history essay (2,000 words, on the causes of World War I) is due Friday. I was sick with flu for most of last week and have a doctor's note. My professor, Dr. Patel, is friendly but formal and hasn't granted extensions casually in the past. Task: Write a short email to Dr. Patel asking for a 4-day extension. Mention the doctor's note, take responsibility for the timing, and propose a specific new deadline (Tuesday). Keep it under 150 words and polite but not grovelling.
The second prompt lets the AI make sensible choices it couldn't make before: the right formality, a believable reason, a concrete ask.
Instructions: say what to do, not just what it's about
Clear instructions start with an action verb and spell out the deliverable. Compare "Something about our onboarding process" with "List the five steps of our onboarding process as a numbered checklist a new hire can follow on day one." The second tells the AI the action (list), the scope (five steps), the format (numbered checklist) and the audience (a new hire).
Good instructions are:
- Specific about the output — an email, a table, three options, a one-paragraph summary.
- Positive where possible — "Use plain English" is easier to follow than a long list of words to avoid.
- Ordered — if there are several steps, number them.
Keep them visibly separate
When your prompt includes pasted material, mark clearly where it starts and ends. Labels, headings, triple quotes or XML-style tags all work. This stops the AI from confusing your notes with your request, and it stops instructions hidden inside pasted text from being treated as yours.
You'll help me prepare for a meeting with a client. ## Background I run a small bakery. The client is a local café that buys 40 croissants a day from us. They've emailed asking for a 15% discount. My margins are thin, but they're my biggest wholesale customer. ## Their email """ Hi! We love your croissants but our costs have gone up. Could you do 15% off from next month? Otherwise we may need to look at other suppliers. """ ## What I need 1. Summarise what the café is really asking for in one sentence. 2. Suggest three possible responses, from most to least generous. 3. For each, note one risk.
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The café wants a 15% price cut from next month and is signalling they'll consider other suppliers if you say no.
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Possible responses:
- Offer 10% in exchange for a 6-month volume commitment. Risk: locks in lower margins for half a year.
- Offer 5% plus free delivery on larger orders. Risk: delivery costs may cancel out the benefit.
- Hold the price but add a loyalty perk (a free dozen each month). Risk: they may still shop around.
Tip: Put long material (documents, transcripts, data) first and your instructions after it, or repeat the key instruction at the end. With long prompts, a clear request near the end helps the AI stay focused on what you actually want.
How much context is enough?
Enough to remove guesswork — no more. Include facts that would change the answer; leave out life stories that wouldn't. A useful test: if a capable human assistant would have to ask you a question before starting, put the answer in the prompt.
Note: Context isn't the same as truth. If you give the AI incorrect background, it will usually build on it confidently. Double-check the facts you feed in.
Common mistakes
Mistake: Pasting a document with no request, or a request with no background.
Fix: Always include both: a short context section and an explicit instruction.
Mistake: Mixing notes, pasted text and requests into one unbroken paragraph.
Fix: Use headings, labels or quotes to separate background, material and task.
Mistake: Burying the actual request in the middle of a long prompt.
Fix: Put the main instruction at the end (or repeat it there) so it's easy to find.
Practice exercise
Add the missing context
The starter prompt asks for a birthday party plan with no background at all. Rewrite it with a clearly labelled Context section and a separate Task section. Invent realistic details: who the party is for, budget, number of guests, location and any constraints.
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