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Check whether your essay evidence is specific enough
Practice: Showing an example of what you want. About 5 minutes.
About this exercise
Your history teacher keeps writing 'be specific!' on your essays. Get exactly 4 numbered lines, one per piece of evidence in your body paragraph, each labeled exactly Specific or Vague using Ms. Ortiz's guide, with a reason under 10 words, plain text. Don't rewrite any of your evidence or suggest replacements.
Common mistakes when you ask AI for this
- Asking if it's good. The AI rewrites the paragraph and adds facts, which isn't your research. Try: Say: "Don't rewrite or suggest evidence. Just label each one."
- Not giving exact labels. Without fixed labels, the AI says 'could be stronger' about everything. Try: Say: "Label each exactly Specific or Vague."
- Not naming the standard. The AI may accept 'many people lost money' as fine. Try: Add: "Use Ms. Ortiz's guide."
- Not saying how many lines. The AI picks its own number, and it usually picks more lines than you need. Try: Be exact: "Exactly 4 numbered lines."
- Trusting the AI to count words. AI is bad at counting. Ask for a total and it often lands 20% over. Try: Cap each reason: "under 8 words."
- Forgetting where it will be read. AI formats for a screen, with bold and headings that show up as stray symbols in your notes. Try: Say: "Plain text, no bold, no headings."
What a strong prompt includes
- Gives exact labels
- Uses the guide
- Says not to rewrite it
- Says how many lines
- Sets a length limit
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