Library › Study AI › High school students

Reverse-outline your draft in five-word labels

  • For High school students
  • You practice Asking for a format you can use
  • Time about 5 minutes
  • Level Intermediate

About this exercise

Before revising, you want to see what each paragraph of your draft actually says. Get exactly 4 numbered lines, one per paragraph, each a label of 5 words or fewer, then a last line starting 'Gap:' that names one missing piece from the assignment. Don't fix anything. Plain text.

Common mistakes when you ask AI for this

  • Asking for an outline. The AI outlines what you should write, not what you did write. Try: Say: "Label what each paragraph actually does."
  • Offering fixes. The AI rewrites the weak conclusion. Try: Add: "Don't fix anything. Just name the gap."
  • Wrong shape. Without a count and a limit you get a long outline with sub-bullets. Try: Say: "4 numbered lines, each 5 words or fewer, then Gap:"
  • Not saying how many lines. The AI picks its own number, and it usually picks more than you need. Try: Be exact: "Exactly 4 numbered lines."
  • Forgetting where it's going. AI formats for a screen, with bold and headings that show up as stray symbols. Try: Say: "Plain text, no bold, no headings."
  • Trusting the AI to count words. AI is bad at counting. Ask for a total and it often lands 20% over. Try: Cap each part: "each line under 12 words."

What a strong prompt includes

  • Asks for one label per paragraph
  • Limits the label length
  • Asks for a Gap line
  • Says what actually happens
  • Bans fixes

Practice this now ↑

Related exercises