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List a returning student's makeup work, minus what you excused
Practice: Keeping the AI to your sources. About 5 minutes.
About this exercise
A student is back after a week out and needs a makeup list. Write exactly 4 numbered lines in the form "Assignment - new due date - where to find it", sorted by new due date, plain text, under 70 words. Leave off anything you excused, and use the new due dates from your notes, not the original ones. Write a prompt that gets you exactly that.
Common mistakes when you ask AI for this
- No fixed shape. The AI writes a table with original and new dates and notes. Try: Be exact: "Exactly 4 numbered lines: Assignment - new due date - where to find it."
- Trusting the AI to count words. AI is bad at counting. Ask for "under 70 words" and it often lands well over. Try: Cap each part instead: "each line under 15 words."
- Listing excused work. The AI lists everything he missed, including what you excused. Try: Add: "Leave off the excused map activity and bell work."
- Using the original dates. Both dates are on each line, and the AI may grab the first. Try: Add: "Use only the new due dates."
- Keeping your note order. The AI follows your list, so the soonest item isn't first. Try: Add: "Sort by new due date."
What a strong prompt includes
- Leaves off excused work
- Uses new dates
- Sorts by due date
- Says where to find it
- Sets a word limit
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