{"id":"acct-auditor-question-reply-draft","audience":"accounting","category":"finance-work","track":"finance","technique":"grounding","level":"intermediate","title":"Draft a reply to an auditor question and list what to confirm","free":false,"task":"An auditor asked about a large journal entry. Write a prompt for a plain-text draft reply under 90 words using only facts from the support below, followed by a line starting \"To confirm before sending:\" with exactly 2 questions for the controller. The reply states facts and does not state any accounting conclusion, such as when depreciation starts or whether the asset is ready for use.","materialLabel":"Auditor question and our support (attached to your prompt automatically)","material":"AUDITOR REQUEST (Larkin & Shaw LLP, Nov 5): \"JE-3019, $48,000, Dec 29, 2025, debit 1500 Fixed Assets, credit 2000 Accounts Payable. Please explain the nature of the entry, provide support, and confirm the date the asset was placed in service.\"\n\nOUR SUPPORT\n- Vendor invoice M-9921 from Tallis Machining, dated Dec 22, 2025: CNC mill, model T-300, $48,000.\n- Delivery receipt signed by Jorge (receiving) on Dec 22, 2025.\n- PO 5518 for $48,000 approved by the operations director on Nov 14, 2025.\n- Installation work order WO-205: installation started Jan 4, 2026 and the mill ran its first production job on Jan 11, 2026.\n- Payment by ACH on Jan 19, 2026.\n\nOpen points from the accountant's notes (Ola): \"I think the in-service date is Jan 11 but I'm not sure whether the controller will say Dec 22 or Jan 4. The depreciation start date was Feb 1.\"","rules":[{"type":"plainText"},{"type":"maxWords","max":150}],"promptHints":[{"label":"Describes the entry","patterns":["je-3019","cnc","tallis","m-9921"]},{"label":"Cites support","patterns":["po 5518","delivery receipt","work order"]},{"label":"Avoids conclusions","patterns":["(do not|don'?t).*(say|conclude).*(in service|placed)","controller'?s call"]},{"label":"Asks for the confirm line","patterns":["to confirm before sending"]},{"label":"Caps length","patterns":["\\d+\\s*words","plain"]}],"mistakes":[{"title":"Concluding in-service date","why":"The AI writes 'placed in service Jan 11' as the answer.","fix":"Add: \"Do not state the in-service date; list installation dates as facts.\"","checks":["r1"]},{"title":"Missing the confirm line","why":"The AI sends a finished reply with no questions for the controller.","fix":"Add: 'After the reply, \"To confirm before sending:\" with exactly 2 numbered questions.'","checks":["r2"]},{"title":"Vague support","why":"The AI says 'invoice and delivery documents' without numbers.","fix":"Say: \"Name the documents with their numbers.\"","checks":["r0"]},{"title":"Markdown extras","why":"The AI adds bold labels, headings and a closing note.","fix":"Say: \"Plain text, no bold. Output only the lines asked for.\"","checks":["plainText"]},{"title":"Trusting the AI to count words","why":"AI is bad at counting and runs past word limits.","fix":"Ask for fewer words than the real cap and keep each line short.","checks":["maxWords"]}],"hint":"The AI will want to answer the in-service question. Tell it to state facts only and park the decision in a question.","rubricLabels":["Draft reply explains the entry as the Tallis Machining CNC mill ($48,000, invoice M-9921, delivered Dec 22, 2025) and refers to PO 5518, the delivery receipt and the work order as support","Reply states the installation dates as facts (started Jan 4, 2026, first production job Jan 11, 2026) without saying which date is the in-service date or when depreciation starts","A line starting \"To confirm before sending:\" has exactly 2 questions, such as which date the controller wants given as in-service and whether to mention the depreciation start date"]}