# What do I actually type or say to AI? You don't need special wording. Four parts that turn a vague question into a useful request. **Time:** 6 minutes **What you'll have when you're done:** A four-part way to ask for help that works in any AI chat app, and a first request ready to send. ---The most common worry before trying AI is not knowing what to type. People picture a special syntax, the right magic words, a skill that takes a course. There isn't one. You write the way you'd explain the job to a capable person who has never met you and knows nothing about your situation. --- ## The four parts **What I need** + **useful context** + **what I want back** + **anything to avoid** 1. **What I need.** The task, in plain words. "Help me write a payment reminder." 2. **Useful context.** The facts it can't guess. "The invoice is seven days overdue. This is a good customer." 3. **What I want back.** Length, tone, format. "Friendly. Under 100 words." 4. **Anything to avoid.** The things you'd hate to see. "Don't threaten legal action. Don't add fees I haven't mentioned." Put together: ``` Help me write a friendly payment reminder. The invoice is seven days overdue, and this is a good customer I want to keep. Keep it under 100 words. Don't threaten legal action or add fees I haven't mentioned. ``` Four sentences. No special words. --- ## Why each part matters **Leave out what you need,** and it guesses the task. You get something, but not the thing. **Leave out the context,** and it fills the gaps with the most generic version. That's why so many first answers sound like they were written for nobody in particular. **Leave out what you want back,** and you get its default, which is often longer and more formal than you wanted. **Leave out what to avoid,** and it may add things that sound helpful and cause you trouble: a late fee you never charged, a deadline you never set, a promise you can't keep. --- ## You don't need perfect wording Three things take the pressure off. **You can fix it afterward.** The first answer is a draft. If it's too long, say "shorter." If it's too stiff, say "make it sound more like a normal person." You're in a conversation, and every follow-up counts. **Messy is fine.** Typos, half sentences, and "oh, also" all work. It reads for meaning. It isn't grading your grammar. **Talking works too.** Some AI apps let you speak instead of typing. Look for a microphone button. --- ## Three more examples **Everyday life:** ``` Explain this letter from my insurance company in plain English. I want to know what they're asking me to do and by when. Don't give me legal advice, and tell me if anything is unclear rather than guessing. [paste the letter, with your name, address, and policy number removed] ``` **Work:** ``` Turn these meeting notes into a list of action items. For each one, say who owns it and when it's due, if the notes say. If they don't, write "not stated." Don't invent names or dates. [paste the notes] ``` **Small business:** ``` Write a calm, professional reply to this customer review. We did ship the order two days late, and we've already refunded shipping. Keep it under 80 words. Don't offer anything beyond the refund. [paste the review] ``` Notice what all three have in common. Each one says what to do when information is missing. Tell it to mark a gap as a gap and it usually will, instead of filling the gap with something plausible. --- ## Something you can try **About five minutes.** Think of one message you need to write this week. Before you open any AI app, write the four parts in a note: - What I need: - Useful context: - What I want back: - Anything to avoid: Then paste them into any AI chat app as a single message. Read the result, and ask for one change. --- ## Something important to know **It only knows what you told it.** If a fact matters (an amount, a date, a name, what was actually agreed), it has to come from you, and you have to check it's still right in the final version. A request with the facts left out gets a reply with facts made up to fill the space. --- ## If it doesn't match what you see **The answer ignores one of your parts.** Usually the "avoid" part, especially in a long request. Say it again at the end: "Remember: no fees, no legal threats." **It asks you questions back instead of answering.** Often a good sign: it noticed something missing. Answer them, or say "use your best judgment and mark anything you assumed." **It still isn't useful after two or three tries.** Start a fresh conversation and write the whole request again with everything you've learned. A long back-and-forth can drift, which [Why it forgot what you told it](/guides/foundations/why-it-forgot-what-you-told-it/) explains.

Next