The lessons › Lesson 2 of 6
How do I ask clearly?
Four things that make an answer better: what you want, why, for whom, and an example.
The assistant knows only what you tell it. A short question gets a general answer; a question with context gets a useful one.
Say what you want (the task, and the form you want it in), why (what it is for), and for whom (the reader, the tone, the length). Then give it an example of what good looks like, or the material it should work from.
If the answer misses, say what to change rather than starting again. In most chat tools the conversation so far is part of what the assistant reads, so a short correction often works better than a fresh question.
An example
Before: "Write a letter to my landlord." After: "Write a short, polite letter to my landlord asking for the boiler to be repaired. It has failed twice this month. I would like someone to visit within seven days. Under 150 words, in plain British English." The second gives the facts, the aim, the tone and the length.
Try this
Take something you would normally ask in one line. Add the why, the who and the length, then compare the two answers.
Check yourself
What are the four things that make an answer better?
What you want, why, for whom, and an example or the material to work from.
The answer is nearly right. Should you start again?
Usually not. Say what to change; the conversation so far is part of what the assistant reads.
What AI cannot do here
It cannot ask you for everything it needs. If something matters to the answer, put it in.
Last reviewed 1 October 2026. Glossary · Report a mistake