The same five-component framework applies to every task — but how you apply it changes depending on what you're trying to do. Writing an email requires a different approach than doing research. Planning needs different specifics than creative work.
In this lesson, we'll cover the four task types you'll use most, show you the patterns that work, and let you try them with a live AI response right here — no separate tab needed.
🤖 How this works
Click "Run" next to any example prompt to see a real AI response generated live. Then use the text area at the bottom of each section to try your own prompt for the same task type.
📧 Email & Professional Writing
The key for emails: give the AI the relationship context, the emotional tone you want to strike, and the specific outcome. It can't read the dynamic between you and the recipient — you have to tell it.
"Write a polite but firm follow-up email to a client who owes me £2,400 for work completed 45 days ago. This is the second follow-up. Tone: professional, not aggressive. 100 words max."
Generating...
"Rewrite this email to sound more confident and less apologetic, while keeping it professional: [I'm sorry to bother you, but I was just wondering if maybe you had a chance to look at my proposal yet? No rush of course!]"
Generating...
"Write 3 different subject line options for a sales email promoting a new project management software to small business owners. Goal: high open rate. Make them curiosity-driven, not salesy."
Generating...
Try your own email prompt
🔍 Research & Analysis
For research, the key is being specific about your situation, asking for structured output, and explicitly requesting honest trade-offs — AI tends to be balanced when you ask for it to be. Always verify important facts.
"I'm a first-time homebuyer in the UK. Explain the difference between a fixed-rate and tracker mortgage in plain English, include a concrete example with numbers, and tell me which scenarios each suits best."
Generating...
"Compare Shopify and WooCommerce for a small handmade jewellery business with no technical background. Cover: ease of use, monthly costs, payment fees, scalability. Present as a comparison table, then give a direct recommendation."
Generating...
"What are the strongest arguments both for and against a 4-day work week? I'm preparing for a debate and need the best case for each side, with at least one real-world example per argument."
Generating...
Try your own research prompt
📋 Planning & Organisation
Planning prompts work best when you give real constraints (time, budget, skills, blockers) and ask for output in a usable format — tables, step-by-step lists, prioritised actions. The more specific your situation, the more actionable the plan.
"I want to learn Spanish to a conversational level in 6 months. I have 45 minutes per day, I'm a complete beginner, and I learn best by listening and speaking rather than reading grammar rules. Create a month-by-month learning plan with specific resources."
Generating...
"I'm organising a 40th birthday dinner for 12 people at my home. Budget: £200 for food. I can cook but I'm not a chef. Two guests are vegetarian, one is gluten-free. Give me a full menu, a shopping list, and a prep timeline for the day."
Generating...
"I have 12 tasks to do this week and I'm already overwhelmed. Here's my list: [write proposal, update website, invoice clients, attend 3 meetings, fix bug in app, post on social media, reply to 40 emails, do tax prep, call supplier, prepare presentation, review contract, plan Q3 strategy]. Sort these by urgency and impact, cut the ones I should delegate or drop, and give me a daily schedule."
Generating...
Try your own planning prompt
🎨 Creative Work
Creative prompts benefit most from giving the AI a specific mood, reference point, or constraint — "in the style of" or "with the feeling of" signals what you're after far better than vague words like "good" or "interesting." Constraints unlock creativity.
"Write a product description for a handmade soy candle called 'Quiet Sunday'. It should feel poetic and atmospheric — the kind of copy that makes someone feel the experience before they buy. 80 words max. No clichés like 'cosy' or 'luxurious'."
Generating...
"Give me 8 Instagram caption ideas for a photo of a flat white coffee on a wooden table, taken on a rainy morning. Mix tones: some minimal and aesthetic, some slightly witty, one that would work for a coffee shop's brand account. No hashtags."
Generating...
"I'm starting a newsletter about slow living and sustainable habits. Help me brainstorm 10 possible names. They should feel warm, a little literary, and not try-hard. Avoid words like 'mindful', 'sustainable', 'eco', or 'green'. Include a one-line vibe description for each."
Generating...
Try your own creative prompt
The iteration habit — prompting is a conversation
One thing the best AI users do that beginners don't: they don't stop at the first response. They treat it as a first draft to react to. Here are the follow-ups that reliably improve any response:
🔄 Most useful follow-up prompts
"Make it shorter/longer" — adjust length without losing the core.
"Make it more [direct / warm / casual / formal]" — shift tone instantly.
"Give me 3 alternative versions" — when you know what you got isn't right but can't articulate why.
"What are you assuming here? Is that right?" — surfaces hidden assumptions.
"What would you add if you had no word limit?" — unlocks fuller thinking.
Key takeaway
Different tasks need different prompt shapes — but the follow-up is always the same. React to the first draft. One good follow-up often doubles the quality.