Foundations lesson 2

Foundations · Lesson 2

The 4-Part Prompt Formula

Reliable prompts follow a repeatable structure. This lesson gives you a simple four-part formula you can apply to almost any task.

Reading time: ~7 minutes Level: Beginner Goal: Consistent structure
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Learning objectives

  • Learn the four components of a strong prompt
  • Understand what each part controls
  • Apply the formula to a real task
  • Create prompts that fail less often

The formula

Every reliable prompt answers four questions:

  1. Role — who the AI should act as
  2. Task — what it should do
  3. Constraints — limits, tone, length, rules
  4. Output format — what the result should look like

1) Role

Defining a role stabilises tone and depth. Without it, responses drift.

2) Task

Be specific. “Explain” is vague. “Explain X to Y for Z purpose” is clear.

3) Constraints

Constraints reduce randomness: word count, style, exclusions, structure.

4) Output format

Formatting instructions prevent unusable results.

Rule of thumb: if one part is missing, reliability drops.

Practical exercise

Turn this vague prompt into a structured one.

Write about customer service.

Improved version (example)

You are a customer experience consultant. Explain the key principles of good customer service to a new retail employee. Keep it under 200 words and present it as bullet points.

Use this same structure tomorrow on a real task.

Up next: Lesson 3 — Controlling Tone, Length, and Accuracy Go to Lesson 3
Get Power Prompt is about clarity, not cleverness.