Page 65 - CyberSecurityEssentialsEnglish

Begin with the task, using a verb that names a clear operation: analyze, summarize, compare,
extract, classify, rewrite, propose, test. General verbs such as “talk about” or “make
something professional” do not specify what will happen to the material. The system may

hand you a long text because the scope of work is undefined, not because it failed to
understand the language.

Add the source material when the task is tied to facts, documents, or data. State whether
outside knowledge is permitted, and how the system should behave when evidence is
missing. A sentence such as “Use only the attached text, and write not stated when the

information is absent” reduces the blending of what is in the source with what the model
generates from general knowledge.

Define the audience with a practical description, not just a job title. What is their level of

knowledge? How much time do they have? What decision or action is expected of them?
“An executive who knows the field but does not want technical detail” is clearer than “write
for management.” The audience changes the vocabulary, the examples, the length, and the

amount of explanation.

Define the format according to its use: a paragraph, an email, a memo, a table, a set of fields,

or a decision list. When the output is for people, a clear structure may be enough. When it
will move into software, the shape of the fields, their types, and their validation become far
more important, as the section on structured outputs will discuss.
Define the tone and style through positive, observable qualities: direct, professional,

empathetic without making promises, analytical rather than promotional, short sentences,
technical terms explained. Avoid imitating the style of a living writer, and avoid “write

professionally” without describing what professional means for this particular task.

Write the constraints and rank them. They may include length, language, budget, what must
be avoided, and permitted data sources. But constraints can conflict: “explain in complete

detail in 80 words.” When they conflict, rank the priorities or split the task. You can also ask
the system to tell you when two conditions cannot be met together, instead of silently
sacrificing one of them.

Turn quality into success criteria. Do not say “make it excellent.” Specify properties: it
includes three alternatives, the reason for each, its risks, and questions about missing data,
and it adds no figures. Criteria are not a guarantee, but they make evaluation less dependent

on admiration for the language.

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