Lesson 2: The Anatomy of a Great Prompt (The 5-Part Formula)
Estimated Time: 12 minutes
Learning Objectives:
- Learn a repeatable 5-part prompt structure you can use for anything
- Understand what each part does and when to include it
- Write prompts that consistently get great results
The 5-Part Prompt Formula: R-T-C-F-E
You know specificity matters. Now here's the structure that makes it easy.
Not every prompt needs all 5 parts. But knowing them all means you can dial up quality when it matters.
The formula: R-T-C-F-E
- R = Role: Tell AI who to be
- T = Task: Say exactly what you want
- C = Context: Give background
- F = Format: Describe what the output should look like
- E = Examples: Show what good looks like
Let's break down each one.
Part 1: ROLE - Tell AI who to be
Start your prompt with "You are a [professional/expert/persona]."
Examples:
- "You are a senior copywriter"
- "You are a patient math tutor"
- "You are a nutritionist who specializes in meal prep"
Why it works: Sets the expertise level and perspective. A nutritionist answers differently than a chef. A lawyer writes differently than a blogger.
When to skip: Casual tasks where expertise doesn't really matter. "Summarize this article" doesn't need a role. "Give me investment advice" probably does.
Part 2: TASK - Say exactly what you want
This is the only non-negotiable part. AI needs to know what deliverable you want.
Be specific about the action: write, rewrite, summarize, list, compare, explain, create, analyze.
Bad: "Help with my resume"
Good: "Rewrite the bullet points under my last job to emphasize leadership and quantify results"
Bad: "Marketing ideas"
Good: "Generate 10 social media post ideas for a coffee shop targeting remote workers"
Include the verb. Always.
When to skip: Never. You always need a task.
Part 3: CONTEXT - Give background
Who's the audience? What's the situation? What do they already know?
Context changes everything.
"This is for a job application at a tech startup" hits different than "This is for a government contractor role."
"My audience is retirees who aren't tech-savvy" changes the entire tone, vocabulary, and depth.
"I've been running for 6 months and can do a 5K" tells a fitness AI where you're starting from.
Examples:
- "I'm applying to grad school in psychology"
- "My boss is risk-averse and needs data to make decisions"
- "I'm teaching a workshop for high schoolers"
- "This is for an Instagram post - my audience is 25-35 year old women interested in productivity"
When to skip: If the task is so self-explanatory that context doesn't change the answer. "Translate 'hello' to Spanish" doesn't need context.
Part 4: FORMAT - Describe what the output should look like
This is where you control length, structure, and tone.
Length:
- "Keep it under 200 words"
- "Write a full page"
- "Give me exactly 5 options"
Structure:
- "Use bullet points"
- "Write as a numbered list"
- "Create a table with 3 columns"
- "Format it as an email"
Tone:
- "Professional"
- "Casual and friendly"
- "Funny"
- "Formal and respectful"
- "Enthusiastic but not salesy"
You can also specify format by comparison:
- "Format it like a LinkedIn post"
- "Write it like a TED talk opening"
- "Structure it like a newspaper article"
When to skip: If you're fine with whatever format AI chooses. For quick answers, format doesn't always matter.
Part 5: EXAMPLES - Show what good looks like
This is the most powerful and most underused part.
Instead of describing what you want, show AI an example:
"Here's an example of the style I want: [paste example]"
Or reference something:
- "Write in the style of Tim Urban from Wait But Why"
- "Similar to how Apple writes product descriptions"
- "Match the tone of the emails in this thread: [paste]"
Why this works: Showing is 10x more powerful than telling. AI can pattern-match from examples better than it can interpret descriptions.
Examples:
- Paste 2-3 product descriptions you like, then ask AI to write one for your product
- Show AI a few tweets in your style, then ask it to write more
- Give it a sample email thread and ask it to draft the next reply matching that tone
When to skip: If the task is straightforward enough without one. "List the state capitals" doesn't need an example.
Putting it all together
Here's a full prompt using all 5 parts:
Role: "You are an experienced real estate agent with 15 years of experience writing property listings."
Task: "Write a property listing description."
Context: "For a 3-bedroom, 2-bathroom home in a suburban neighborhood, priced at $350,000, targeting young families. The home has a large backyard, updated kitchen, and is within walking distance of top-rated schools."
Format: "Keep it under 150 words. Use an enthusiastic but professional tone. Start with an attention-grabbing sentence."
Example: "Here's an example of the style I want: 'Welcome to your dream starter home! This sun-filled 3-bed, 2-bath gem offers everything a growing family needs...'"
The result: AI writes you a listing that sounds like it came from a pro, tailored exactly to your property, ready to post.
Compare that to "Write a property listing" and you'll see the difference.
The cheat: You don't need all 5 every time
Quick tasks: Task + Format is usually enough.
"Summarize this article in 5 bullet points." Done.
Important tasks: Use all 5.
Writing a cover letter? Setting pricing strategy? Drafting an important email? That's when you bring out the full formula.
Rule of thumb: The higher the stakes, the more parts you include.
Real-world example: The cover letter
Let's use the formula to write a cover letter.
Role: "You are a career coach who specializes in helping people transition into tech careers."
Task: "Write a cover letter for a junior data analyst position."
Context: "I'm coming from a background in retail management. I recently completed a data analytics bootcamp. The company is a mid-size e-commerce startup. I have 5 years of management experience and strong Excel skills. The job posting emphasizes collaboration and curiosity."
Format: "Keep it to 3 paragraphs, under 300 words. Tone should be enthusiastic but professional. Start with a hook that connects my retail experience to data analysis."
Example: "I like cover letters that start with a story or surprising connection rather than 'I am writing to apply for...'"
Try that prompt. You'll get a cover letter that actually sounds like a human wrote it, tells your specific story, and doesn't use the same template as 10,000 other applicants.
Why this formula works
It forces you to think through what you actually need before you ask.
Most people type a vague prompt, get a vague answer, then give up on AI.
People who use this formula get results so good that colleagues think they hired a professional.
The difference? Five minutes of setup.
What you just learned
- Great prompts follow R-T-C-F-E: Role, Task, Context, Format, Examples
- "Task" is mandatory. Always tell AI exactly what you want it to produce.
- The more important the output, the more parts of the formula you should use.
- Showing an example is more powerful than describing what you want.
Once you internalize this structure, you'll start using it automatically. It becomes second nature.
Try It Challenge
Write a prompt using all 5 parts (R-T-C-F-E) to get AI to help you with something real.
Here's a template:
You are a [role].
[Task: what you want]
[Context: background/audience/situation]
[Format: length, tone, structure]
[Here's an example of what I'm looking for: ...]
Try it and compare the result to what you'd get with just the task alone. The difference will be obvious.
Quiz
Q1: In the prompt formula, what does "Role" do?
A) Tells AI what format to use
B) Sets the expertise and perspective AI should respond with
C) Gives AI your personal information
D) Makes the response longer
Answer: B
Setting a role ("You are a financial advisor") changes how AI approaches the response. The vocabulary, depth, and perspective all shift. A financial advisor answers differently than a friend or a textbook.
Q2: Which part of the formula is the MOST important?
A) Role
B) Task
C) Examples
D) They're all equally important
Answer: B
Task is the only non-negotiable part. AI needs to know what you want. You can skip role, context, format, and examples for simple requests, but without a clear task, you'll always get vague results.
Next lesson: You'll get 10 copy-paste prompt templates that work for the most common daily tasks. No more starting from scratch.