Handout: Effective Prompting Patterns

Anatomy

1. Role and tone (who is the assistant?)
2. Task and definition of done (what exactly?)
3. Constraints (length, style, format)
4. Examples (few-shot)
5. Safety and refusal guidance (what to avoid)

Templates

• “You are a [role]. Task: [goal]. Constraints: [bullets]. Output: [format].”
• “Criticize then improve: First list 3 weaknesses; then produce a revised version.”

Tips

• Prefer concrete verbs (“draft 5 bullets…”) and testable outputs
• Include length, audience, and examples (before/after)
• Ask the model to self-check against a brief rubric