TryBench
Applied AI & Prompt Workflows · Practitioner lesson 8 of 19

Clear Commands

Get short, direct answers from AI—without the extra chatter.

Why this matters

Short, clear answers save everyone time. A single sentence with the key facts is easier to read than three paragraphs.

Vague Requests Get Long Answers

If you only say "summarize this", the AI writes long paragraphs. Say how short you want it, like "in one sentence".

In real life: A boss says "tell me what happened". You talk for ten minutes. A boss says "tell me in one sentence". You give the key point. The AI behaves the same way.

❌ Vague: "Summarize this store incident."
✅ Locked: "Summarize this store incident in exactly 1 sentence under 18 words."

Say What to Include and What to Skip

Say what you want and what to leave out. For example: "Skip greetings like Sure, here is".

In real life: Say what to include and what to skip. For example, 'include these two phrases' and 'no greeting'. This keeps the useful facts and removes the filler.

❌ Without rule: "Sure! Here is a summary of what happened: An expired..."
✅ With negative rule: "Output ONLY the summary sentence. No greetings or intro phrases."

Put Your Key Rule First or Last

Rules in the middle of a long message get missed. Put your most important rule at the start or the end.

In real life: Think of a long voice note. People remember the first and last things you said. Put your most important rule there so it is not forgotten.

Natural Layout:
Summarize the store update below in one sentence under 18 words. Skip any greeting or intro.

[Paste the store update here]

Output only the single summary sentence.

Your practice task

Get the AI to sum up the store update below in ONE sentence of 18 words or fewer. It must mention "expired security certificate" and "automatic renewal", and start straight away—no "Sure, here is…" intro.

How to do it

  1. Read the store update above.
  2. Ask for ONE sentence with a word limit.
  3. Name the two phrases that must appear in it.
  4. Say: no greeting, only the sentence. Then press Run proof.

Practice it for free in the app. You get instant checks that show what you got right and what to fix. A lesson takes about two minutes and you can try as many times as you like.

Quick reference: Short Answer Rule

Stops the AI from adding "Sure, here's your summary:" and long paragraphs.

Answer in ONE sentence of 15 words or fewer. Don't include any intro, greeting, or label—just the sentence.

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More lessons in this course

See all 19 lessons in Applied AI & Prompt Workflows