Friends,
In the previous parts, we learned what AI is, how AI works, and about AI Tools such as ChatGPT and Gemini.
But having an AI Tool on your mobile phone or computer is one thing…
And getting that AI to work according to your expectations is a completely different thing.
Because no matter how powerful AI is, if we do not clearly tell it what exactly we want, we may not get the answer we expect.
And this is where an important word comes in…
Prompt!
What is a Prompt?
To put it in very simple language,
The instruction, question, or directions we give to AI to perform a task is called a Prompt.
In other words, the way we tell AI about the work we want it to do for us is called a Prompt.
For example,
You said to AI:
“Write a news story for me.”
This is a Prompt.
But if you say:
“Based on the information given below, prepare a Marathi news story that can be understood by the general audience. Keep the language simple and clear. The beginning of the news should be attractive, and do not add any unverified information on your own.”
Then this is a more clear and useful Prompt.
In both cases, we have given AI a task.
But in the second Prompt, we have explained more clearly how the work should be done.
So, how do you write a good Prompt?
To write a good Prompt, you do not need to memorize big technical words.
Just keep a few simple things in mind.
1. Tell AI exactly what work needs to be done
First, clearly tell AI what you want it to do.
Example:
“Write an article about the importance of school for me.”
2. Tell it who it is for
If you tell AI who will read your content, it can change the language and level of information accordingly.
Example:
“This article should be understandable to fifth-grade students.”
3. Clearly specify the language
Clearly tell it whether you want Marathi, Hindi, English, or any other language.
Example:
“Write the article in very simple Marathi.”
4. Tell it the style
Do you want simple language?
Professional language?
News Anchor Style?
Educational style?
Tell AI.
Example:
“The language should be serious, effective, and trustworthy in News Anchor Style.”
5. Tell it how long you want the answer to be
Whether you want a 100-word text or a 1000-word text, telling AI this can help you get an answer of the appropriate length.
Example:
“Write an article of approximately 500 words.”
Two different Prompts for the same topic
Suppose you want information from AI about What is AI?
Simple Prompt:
“Tell me what AI is.”
AI will give you general information based on this.
But a good Prompt could be:
“Explain what AI is in very simple Marathi. This content should be for general readers who have no knowledge about AI. Give five simple examples from daily life and at the end, tell me three benefits and three limitations of AI.”
Now AI understands your requirement more clearly.
Why is Context important in a Prompt?
The more appropriate Context, meaning the background or context, you give to AI, the more it can try to answer according to your requirements.
For example, if you simply say:
“Write a speech.”
AI will have many questions.
What is the speech about?
Who will deliver it?
Who are the audience?
How long should the speech be?
What language should it be in?
But if you say:
“Prepare a five-minute motivational speech for the chief guest to address students at the school’s annual function. The language should be simple and effective Marathi.”
Then AI gets the context of the task.
Try giving AI a Role
To make a Prompt more effective, you can give AI a specific role.
For example:
“You are an experienced teacher. Explain photosynthesis in a language that sixth-grade students can understand.”
Or,
“You are an experienced News Editor. Based on the information given below, prepare a clear and impartial news Script.”
This gives AI direction about the perspective from which the answer should be prepared.
Is it necessary to tell AI everything at once?
No.
While communicating with AI, you can make improvements to the answer step by step.
For example, after receiving the first answer, you can say:
“Write this in even simpler language.”
Then:
“Make the beginning more attractive.”
Then:
“Make it 300 words.”
And finally:
“Give it an attractive title.”
In this way, you can create the final content by communicating with AI.
Can you give a Prompt to AI in Marathi?
Yes, absolutely.
It is not necessary to write a Prompt only in English to use AI.
You can write a Prompt in the language in which you can properly express your requirement.
In Marathi:
“Write a 500-word informative article about tourist places in Maharashtra for me.”
In Hindi:
“महाराष्ट्र के पर्यटन स्थलों पर 500 शब्दों का लेख लिखिए।”
In English:
“Write a 500-word informative article about tourist places in Maharashtra.”
The most important thing is that your instruction should be clear.
Prompt for Students
If students use AI not just to get ready-made answers but to understand the subject, they can benefit more from it.
Example:
“I do not understand the water cycle. Explain it with an example in simple language that a fifth-grade student can understand. At the end, give me five practice questions.”
Such a Prompt can help the student understand the subject.
Prompt for Teachers
Teachers can use AI for Lesson Planning, question papers, activities, and study material.
Example:
“Prepare a 40-minute lesson on the ‘Importance of Water’ for seventh-grade students. Include objectives, examples, questions to ask the students, and at the end give five practice questions.”
However, teachers need to check the material prepared by AI themselves.
Prompt for Journalists
While creating journalism and News Content, it can be useful to clearly instruct in the Prompt: “Do not add any new or unverified information.”
Example:
“Based on the information given below, prepare a Marathi news Script that can be easily understood by the general audience. Keep the language simple and clear. Do not add any new, unverified, or assumption-based information on your own.”
But always remember one thing…
The information given by AI is not the final truth.
Especially in news, law, health, financial transactions, or other important subjects, it is necessary to verify the information through reliable sources before publishing or using it.
Prompt for Business
Suppose you have a clothing shop.
You can tell AI:
“Create a short advertising message for my clothing shop that can be sent on WhatsApp. The language should be simple, attractive, and encourage customers to visit the shop.”
AI can create a preliminary advertising message for you.
Then you can say:
“Make it more attractive.”
Or:
“Create a 50-word version of this.”
Prompt is also important for AI Images
Prompt is not used only in Text AI.
A Prompt is also very important in an AI Image Generator.
For example:
“Create a natural photograph of a school-going boy studying. There should be books and a notebook in front of him. The environment should be simple and homely.”
The more clearly you explain your idea, the more it can help AI understand what you expect.
Common mistakes while writing a Prompt
❌ Very vague instruction
“Write a post.”
❌ Not giving Context
“Give information about this.”
❌ Not specifying the Target Audience
“Write an article.”
❌ Not specifying language and style
“Prepare a news story.”
Instead:
“Prepare a 400-word impartial news story in simple Marathi for general readers.”
Such a clear Prompt can be more useful.
Remember one simple Formula
While writing a good Prompt, try using this simple Formula:
Role + Task + Context + Audience + Language + Style + Format + Length
What does this mean?
Who are you? → What work needs to be done? → In what context? → For whom? → In which language? → In what style? → In what Format? → How long?
If you remember this Formula, writing Prompts will become very easy in the beginning.
What is Prompt Engineering?
When you learn the method of properly creating questions, instructions, and directions to get better results from AI, it is generally called Prompt Engineering.
There is no need to be afraid after hearing this name.
Initially, you do not need any major Technical Degree for this.
Developing the habit of giving simple, clear, and proper instructions is the first step.
The last and most important thing
While using AI, always remember one thing…
More important than what to ask AI is being clear about exactly what we want.
If your Prompt is vague, the answer may also be different from what you expect.
But if you clearly explain the task, context, language, style, audience, and expected result, the possibility of getting a more useful answer from AI increases.
So from today, do not just ask AI questions…
Explain the work to it.
Experiment.
Check the first answer.
Ask for improvements.
Get the answer again.
And gradually develop your own way of writing Prompts.
Because in the future, compared to a person who only uses AI…
A person who knows how to get the right work done from AI may be more valuable.
In the next part…
Part 7 — How useful is AI for students?
How can students make their studies easier with the help of AI?
How should AI be used properly to understand Homework, Notes, Revision, and difficult subjects?
And most importantly…
How can students preserve their own ability to study and think while using AI?
We will learn all this in the next part with very simple examples.
Stay connected with ‘Janpravah News’ on this AI knowledge journey!
