Self-assessment begins the moment when we put our minds to task. Thinking and acting on your thoughts are radically different. Perhaps this is the reason that most of us struggle when it comes to something as common as writing. Well, we have all been writing right from the day we held the first pencil. Thanks to AI, now, we have thousands of chatbots and other resources right at our fingertips that can make us write effortlessly and earn the title of proverbial Shashi Tharoor or Salman Rushdie in our circles. ChatGPT is enabling writers from around the world to express themselves in the most creative ways. Accessibility is the key, however, not many are using it in the best way to help them with their writing. Below are some great ways or rather prompts that are a thousand times better than simply asking AI to rewrite your text: Prompts that can help you improve your content: Reframe: Instead of the plain ‘rewrite the below text’, try using the word, reframe. This can come in handy if you have text that needs a change of perspective or focus. This not only rewrites the text but also gives it a new spin without taking away the context. Reframe as prompt also gives you a brand new expression for your existing idea and it can be of assistance while preparing reports and presentations. Expand: ChatGPT and Google Bard come with the power of the Internet. You have a great idea, but you are falling short of words or the expression that can render it the nuance and depth. This prompt will augment your text by adding new layers of context, all the while sticking to the essence of the content. Remember, ChatGPT may end up producing longer prose than you thought. We advise you to use your discretion to edit as deemed necessary. Paraphrase: Plagiarism is one of the biggest concerns with written text. When it comes to the internet, over 300 million terabytes of data are created each day, and a majority of it is text. Plagiarism will not only derank your website but could end up soiling your goodwill. ‘Paraphrase’ in place of ‘rewrite’ can be a great way to create authentic writing. Summarise: You have lengthy text at hand, time is running out, and you need to present your thoughts before your team. ChatGPT can save you in the nick of time. Instead of falling into the rabbit hole of the ‘Rewrite’ prompt use ‘Summarise: <paragraph/article/report>’. This prompt will condense lengthy essays, reports, and texts into easy-to-read short summaries. One can also use, ‘Summarise in bullet points: <paste text>’ to get short, crisp, and presentable information from any given text. Reinterpret: This prompt is a great alternative if you are looking for the possible meaning of a text. It not only shows the text in a new light but also makes it more comprehensive. Amplify: There would often be a need to overhype or use some hyperboles to beautify a simple idea. But since we often fall short of words, this could seem like a mammoth task. ‘Amplify: <text>’ can come to your rescue. This prompt will bring the kind of recall value that you aim to achieve with your writing. Simplify: When it comes to studies and reports, we are often accosted by content that is not only dense but would also require some kind of specialisation to decipher the true meaning. After all, not every text is meant for everyone. ‘Simplify: <text>’ can reduce the complexity of the language, and make text seem comprehensible. Elaborate: There is a difference between elaborate and explain, and the distinction between the two has always been a point of contention among non-native speakers of English. With ‘explain’ we give an overview or bring it down to the basics, whereas ‘elaborate’ is simply explaining with examples or from multiple perspectives. Use ‘Elaborate: <paste text>’ to make your text more illustrative. Adapt: This prompt can be a saviour, especially if you have to change your text to a different reader group at the last moment. Imagine you were to write a speech for high-school students about your journey as a teacher, however, now you have been told you will be demonstrating your life as a teacher to 5th graders. Simply using ‘Adapt’ in place of ‘rewrite’ will adjust the tonality of the text. While simply using ‘Adapt: <Paste text>’ will generalise the content, one can also modify the prompt as ‘Adapt below text for 5-year-old readers’ to get optimal results. Clarify: Some statements or even documents can be confusing, so much to make you writhe in frustration. Relax, you don’t need to pull your hair. Use ‘Clarify: <paste text’ to make a confusing point or a vague statement clear. Modernise: At times, we may have text that is written in an old-fashioned manner with obsolete terms and concepts. This prompt can help you make sense of text that has older syntax or concepts. Condense: All of us have had precise writing tests back in school. Well, this prompt is somewhat similar. Use ‘Condense: <paste text>’ to make complex paragraphs shorter and to the point. This prompt allows you to rewrite shorter text by limiting information to the key points. Emphasise/Reiterate: Sometimes, a text may have more than one talking point. This prompt can help you highlight the most important points that you prefer. With ChatGPT, there is no dearth of information, hence it is advisable to tweak these slightly. For example: Use ‘Emphasis: Age progression related topics’ in a text based on skill-based learning. In simple words, using emphasis or reiterate lets you highlight certain points more than others. Informalise: In the age of social media, it is not advisable to simply summarise text to share with followers. There is a need for nuance, some humour, and the ability to pick the most intriguing aspect of the text. Use ‘Informalise: <Paste text>’ to add a colloquial style or even a relaxed tone to complex texts. Formalise: A lot of times, most ideas are rough. Some tweaks may make them presentable. But largely, ideas from a brainstorming session need to be compiled formally to be documented and shared among team members. Use ‘Formalise: <paste text>’ to rewrite text in casual or informal language into a formal or professional style. This prompt can be useful for business communications. Neutralise: This is a great prompt for those looking for objectivity in a given text. This prompt essentially removes opinion or bias, making the text more objective. It can be a great tool to add objectivity to essays, statements, and more. Streamline: Sometimes, our essays, answers, or observations tend to extend for pages. This could be laborious to read, as the writer may seem to be talking in circles. When writing, remember that ‘brevity is the soul of wit’. Use the prompt, ‘Streamline: <paste text>’ to remove fluff, or unnecessary expression from your content. Enrich/Embellish: While the content and intent are key to keeping the reader engrossed, a tinge of pazazz will take it a long way. Agreed, not all of us can write like F. Scott Fitzgerald with vivid imagery strung with metaphors. Use this prompt to turn drab-looking text into something more interesting. Illustrate with examples: It is always good to give examples in your writing. Readers will not only appreciate the extra effort but will ensure that they bring more readers to your web page or column. Use this prompt to weave in examples to make your content lucid and effortless to consume. With DALL-E 3 now more prominent than ever, do not forget to use the word ‘examples’ in your prompts. Sensationalise: Everyone loves drama! For writers, especially catering to the dynamic readers of today, peppering their social media posts, blogs, or even short-form content scripts with dramatic elements can surely help grab some attention. Using this prompt can be a great way to generate content that could be clickbait. We advise a measured approach here. Humanise: This prompt can be the quickest way to turn a text into a personalised experience. Depending on the input, the outcome can be in collective pronouns or personal pronouns. Energise/Enliven: You have your ideas in place, maybe you have written them down but they lack that spark. It is during moments like these that you feel the need to frame the text with words that do justice to your ideas and elevate your perspective. Using the prompt ‘Enliven or Energise: <paste text>’ can make your text upbeat and infuse some zeal. Synthesise: This prompt can be greatly beneficial if you are dealing with a text that has different information. Use ‘Synthesise: <paste text>’ to combine different pieces of information. The prompt not only streamlines the content but also ensures that the meaning is not lost in the process. Exaggerate: You don’t really need to be verbose to make your content grab the reader’s attention. Using the ‘Exaggerate’ prompt can help you augment your content with hyperbole. This can be an ideal tool to enhance your sales pitches. ChatGPT will often give you more than needed, hence practice caution, especially with the facts in your text. Soft-pedal: This is essentially the opposite of exaggerating or enlivening the content. Using the prompt, ‘Soft-pedal the below text <paste text>’ will help you reduce the intensity of the text or reduce the impact of the content. Downplay: In case you want your content to be mellowed down, change the tone to a milder one. Using ‘Downplay: <paste text>’ will be helpful for research, evidence-based testimonials, and straightforward content. Glamourise: In essence, this prompt is not any different from embellish or enrich. If you feel your writing is missing the panache to hook the reader or persuade them to keep reading, use 'Glamourise the below text: <Paste text>'. This prompt may make your text more appealing and elevating the overall purpose of the text. Disclaimer: All the above-mentioned prompts have been tested with different variations of text from the initial three paragraphs in the article and some external content. We aim to help you write better with the assistance of AI. To become a great writer, starting with a significant volume of reading, including books and written materials, is a good beginning. All of the above tools are accessories designed to help you refine your writing.
