It was early 2022 when one of my friends told me about this AI thing called ChatGPT. Curious about the buzz, I created an account and started chatting with it like I would with a friend. But to my disappointment, ChatGPT didn’t quite do what I expected—it gave vague or generic answers, and I quickly lost interest. Frustrated, I complained to my friends that it wasn’t as smart as people claimed.
However, something kept nagging at me. Why were so many people praising it while I found it underwhelming? I decided to dig a little deeper into how these AI systems work. That’s when I realized: the problem wasn’t the AI—it was how I was asking. The better the prompt, the better the response. This discovery led me down the path of prompt engineering, a skill that completely changed how I interact with AI. Now, I want to share these basics with you so you can unlock AI’s full potential and get the best possible responses.
Why Does Prompt Engineering Matter?
Think of AI like a smart assistant. If you give vague or poorly structured instructions, you’ll get an unhelpful or generic response. However, if you ask clearly and specifically, you’ll get a well-structured, high-quality answer. Prompt engineering helps you get more useful, accurate, and tailored responses from AI. Whether you’re using AI for research, writing, coding, or problem-solving, mastering prompt engineering will significantly improve your experience.
The Basics of Writing Good Prompts
Here are the foundational principles of writing great prompts:
Understand the AI’s Capabilities 
AI models respond based on patterns in their training data. They do not “think” like humans but generate text based on probabilities. Knowing this helps you design better prompts.
Use Clear and Specific Instructions 
Be precise about what you want. Instead of:
“Tell me about dogs.”
“Summarize the characteristics of Labrador Retrievers in three bullet points.”
Provide Context 
More context helps the AI understand what you’re asking. Example: “Write a story.” “Write a 200-word sci-fi story set on Mars in the year 2150, featuring an AI-powered rover.”
Define Output Format 
Tell the AI how you want the answer structured. Example: “List 5 benefits of exercise in bullet points.” “Write a Python function that calculates the area of a circle.”
Experiment and Iterate 
If the first response isn’t ideal, tweak your prompt by adding constraints, examples, or clarifications.
Practicing Prompting with ChatGPT
The best way to improve your prompt engineering skills is through practice.
Here are screenshots of my initial practice sessions with ChatGPT. I asked ChatGPT to guide me through a series of practice exercises, one by one, to improve my prompting skills. I would write a prompt, and ChatGPT would generate a response based on it. Then, ChatGPT would provide an improved version of my prompt, along with the corresponding results. Finally, it would suggest improvements for me to learn from.
A Simple Trick for Non-Native English Speakers
If English isn’t your first language, you can still craft excellent prompts! Here’s a simple method:
- Write the best prompt you can using the basics outlined above.
- Ask ChatGPT to refine it for clarity and effectiveness by saying: “Please improve this prompt to make it clearer and more effective.”
- Use the improved version to get better AI responses.
This trick ensures you always get the best possible results, no matter your proficiency level in English.
Conclusion
Prompt engineering is a skill that anyone can learn and improve with practice. By following these basics, experimenting with different prompts, and refining your approach, you’ll unlock the full potential of AI. Whether you’re using AI for work, learning, or creativity, knowing how to ask the right questions makes all the difference.
Now it’s your turn! Try out the exercises above and see how much your prompts improve. Happy prompting! 
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