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Work out the babysitter's weekly pay with a late-night rate
Practice: Giving the right context. About 5 minutes.
About this exercise
It's payday for your sitter. She earns $18/hr, and hours after 9 pm pay $20/hr. You also reimburse anything she bought for the kids with a receipt. Write exactly 3 numbered lines, one per shift, each with the math, then one unnumbered last line: Total: $pay + $receipts = $X. Plain text, under 80 words.
Common mistakes when you ask AI for this
- Not giving the late rate. The AI pays all of Friday at $18. Try: Add: "Hours after 9 pm are $20."
- Forgetting the receipt. The AI pays hours only. Try: Add: "Add receipts she paid for the kids."
- Not asking to see the work. A bare total is hard to double-check. Try: Add a line to copy: "3. Fri: 3 x $18 + 2 x $20 = $94"
- Trusting the AI to count words. AI is bad at counting. Ask for a total word limit and it often lands over it. Try: Cap each line: "each line under 12 words."
- Forgetting where it goes. AI loves markdown tables and bold, which show up as clutter in a Venmo note. Try: Add: "Plain text, no bold, headings or tables."
What a strong prompt includes
- Gives the rates
- Adds receipts
- Asks to show the math
- Sets a word limit
- Asks for plain text
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