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The Art of Prompting: How to Get the Most Out of ChatGPT

Exploring Different Types of Prompts, Action Verbs, and Techniques for Writing Clear and Concise Inputs

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ChatGPT Prompt

In the context of ChatGPT, a prompt is a piece of text or input that is given to the AI language model to elicit a response. It’s essentially a question, statement, or instruction that the user provides to the model, and the model responds accordingly.

Here are some examples of different types of prompts for ChatGPT:

Chained Prompts: These prompts are a series of questions or tasks that build upon each other.

Example:

  1. “Write a short story about a character who discovers a hidden world.”
  2. “Now, describe the character’s first encounter with a creature from that world.”
  3. “What is the creature’s motivation for interacting with the character?”

Conditional Prompts: These prompts provide specific conditions or constraints for the response.

Example:

  • “Write a poem about summer, but only use words that start with the letter ’s’.”
  • “Generate a recipe for a vegan dessert, assuming the only available ingredients are fruits and nuts.”
  • “Imagine you are an expert in artificial intelligence, but you can only respond in sentences that are exactly 10 words long.”

Open-Ended Prompts: These prompts allow for a wide range of responses and encourage creative thinking.

Example:

  • “What would happen if gravity stopped working for a day?”
  • “Design a new species of animal that can thrive in a futuristic city.”
  • “Write a script for a conversation between two inanimate objects.”

Structured Prompts: These prompts provide a clear framework or template for the response.

Example:

  • “Write a product review in the format of a 5-star rating system, including pros, cons, and a summary.”
  • “Create a step-by-step guide for building a simple robot, including materials and instructions.”
  • “Develop a character profile, including name, age, occupation, and three personality traits.”

Additional examples:

  • Hybrid Prompts: Combine different types of prompts, such as a chained prompt with conditional constraints.
  • Multi-Part Prompts: Break down a complex task into smaller, manageable parts, and ask the model to complete each part separately.
  • Context-Dependent Prompts: Provide context or background information before asking the question, and ask the model to take that context into account when responding.

These are just a few examples, and you can experiment with different types of prompts to see what works best for your specific use case.

Action Verbs

Here are few action verbs used while creating a prompt:

Describe, Explain, Imagine, Create, Design, Write, Develop, Analyze, Compare, Summarize, Generate, Discuss, Identify, Predict, Recommend

These are just a few examples, but there are many more action verbs you can use to create prompts for ChatGPT.

Writing Meaningful Prompt

Here are some tips to help you write a meaningful ChatGPT prompt:

  1. Be specific: Avoid vague or open-ended prompts. Instead, provide specific details and context to help the model understand what you’re looking for.
  2. Define the task: Clearly define what you want the model to do, such as “Write a short story,” “Explain a concept,” or “Generate a list.”
  3. Provide context: Give the model enough context to understand the topic or scenario. This can include background information, definitions, or relevant details.
  4. Use clear language: Avoid using jargon, technical terms, or complex language that the model may not understand. Use simple, concise language to convey your message.
  5. Specify the tone and style: If you want the model to respond in a specific tone or style, such as formal, informal, humorous, or persuasive, make sure to indicate this in the prompt.
  6. Define the scope: Specify the scope of the response, such as the length, format, or level of detail you’re looking for.
  7. Ask follow-up questions: If you want the model to provide more information or clarify a point, ask follow-up questions to encourage a more detailed response.
  8. Use relevant keywords: Incorporate relevant keywords or phrases to help the model understand the topic and provide a more accurate response.
  9. Avoid ambiguity: Avoid using ambiguous language or prompts that could be interpreted in multiple ways. Instead, provide clear and concise language to ensure the model understands what you’re asking.
  10. Test and refine: Test your prompt with the model and refine it as needed to get the desired response.

Here’s an example of a well-crafted prompt:

“Write a 250-word short story about a character who discovers a hidden world within their own reflection. The story should be written in a formal tone and include elements of fantasy and self-discovery. Please include a clear beginning, middle, and end, and use descriptive language to bring the world to life.”

Crafting Effective Prompts for ChatGPT

1. Use Clear Delimiters: When asking a question or providing context, use delimiters such as :, -, or a newline character to separate the question from the explanation. This helps ChatGPT understand the main question and provide a more accurate response.

2. Provide Clear Instructions: Include as much detail as possible in your prompt to help ChatGPT understand what you need. Be specific, concise, and use simple language to ensure the model can accurately respond to your query.

3. Be Specific:

When asking a question or providing context, be as specific as possible to help ChatGPT understand what you need. Avoid vague or open-ended prompts that may confuse the model.

Remove unnecessary words in the prompt. Instead of saying “Could you please tell me how to get to the nearest coffee shop from here?” say, “How do I get to the nearest coffee shop?”

Bad Prompt Example: “What’s a good movie I’m bored and want something to watch tonight” or my computer isn’t working.

In this example, the prompt is unclear, and ChatGPT may struggle to identify the main question. The additional information about being bored and wanting something to watch tonight is not separated from the main question, making it difficult for the model to provide a relevant response.

Good Prompt Example: “What’s a good movie: I’m looking for a recommendation for a film to watch tonight, preferably a comedy or action movie.” or my computer shows blue screen when powered on.

In this rewritten prompt, the delimiter : clearly separates the main question from the additional context. The prompt is concise, specific, and provides clear instructions, making it easier for ChatGPT to provide a helpful response.

Using Markdown syntax for Prompts

When crafting a prompt, using markdowns can greatly enhance its clarity and readability. By incorporating simple formatting elements like headings, bold text, and lists, links, code blocks, and blockquotes you can break up complex ideas into manageable chunks and draw attention to key points. For instance, you can use headings to separate different topics or questions, or bold text to highlight important keywords or phrases. This not only makes your prompt easier to understand but also helps me, the AI, to quickly identify the main points and provide a more accurate response.

Additionally, markdowns can also help to reduce ambiguity and ensure that your prompt is interpreted correctly. By using lists or tables to organize information, you can present complex data in a clear and concise manner. This can be particularly useful when asking multiple questions or providing context for a scenario. By taking the time to format your prompt with markdowns, you can ensure that your question is answered accurately and efficiently, saving you time and effort in the long run.

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