The Five-Part Prompt
- Objective: the decision or artifact you need.
- Context: audience, background, and source material.
- Constraints: boundaries, exclusions, length, and tone.
- Format: the structure that makes the result useful.
- Verification: checks, sources, assumptions, and uncertainty.
Example
Compare these two policies for a new employee. Use only the attached text. Return a five-row table covering eligibility, cost, exclusions, deadlines, and questions for HR. Quote the relevant clause for each row. Say “not stated” when the source is silent.
Iterate on the Specification
Do not keep saying “try again.” Point to the defect: an unsupported claim, missing constraint, wrong audience, or unusable format. Each revision should tighten an observable requirement.
Design the Check Before the Answer
For factual work, identify authoritative sources. For code, define tests. For writing, name the audience and acceptance criteria. For decisions, list assumptions and the evidence that could reverse the recommendation.
Five-Minute Exercise
Take one vague request you use often. Rewrite it with all five parts, then remove every detail that does not change the expected result.