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AI writing prompts

AI writing prompts, like the prompts you write for Grammarly1, can be as short or as long as necessary.

AI writing prompt examples:

  1. “Create a …“
    • “Create a …” followed by a type of document is among the most useful and most popular prompts, along with “Write a . . . ,” an equally viable alternative. Simply type “Create a” and then add whatever AI writing tasks2 you need (e.g., “Create a TikTok video script using the side-eye trend” or “Create a love poem about flowers”).
  2. “Act as a …”
    • Many AI writing assistants can imitate different professions and mindsets, such as those of a marketer, lawyer, or even therapist. This can be a big help for specific tasks; for example, if you want it to generate an ad, you’ll get better results if you type “Act as an advertiser . . .” before the rest of the prompt. You can even use this to have a little fun, such as by asking the AI to “act as a cranky person.”
  3. “Complete this sentence …”
    • If asking open-ended questions isn’t getting you the results you want, you can steer the direction better using the “Complete this sentence …” template. This works great to focus the AI when broad questions don’t give you a satisfactory answer. Additionally, you can use this prompt directly for writing if you’re having trouble coming up with a conclusion to a sentence.
  4. “Mimic this style …”
    • AI writing assistants have a pretty neutral writing style, but what if you want something passionate, excessively formal, or child-friendly? Using the “Mimic this style …” prompt, you can paste a sample text from the style you want, and the AI will compose whatever you want in that style. You can even use your own writing to have the AI generate text in your own personal style.
  5. “Give me examples of …”
    • Asking AI to give you some examples is useful both in writing and education. For writing, sometimes it can be difficult to think up good examples, even if you understand a topic well. You can save time by asking AI to create a list of examples for you and use them as a springboard for your own writing.
    • Likewise, if you don’t understand a topic, you can request some examples from an AI to illustrate its meaning. For example, you can write, “Give me examples of iambic pentameter.”
  6. “Show this as a …”
    • If you present some AI writing assistants with raw data, they can convert it into rudimentary graphs and charts for you. Don’t expect anything too complex—what AI can create is usually limited to text, which isn’t ideal for visuals. However, it can give you a rough draft that you can use to build a better-looking model. Just say something like, “Show me this data as a graph.”
  7. “Write a list of …”
    • AI technology is still developing, so there’s a lot it can’t yet do consistently. Because of this, sometimes it’s best to request multiple options and then choose the best one. Simply ask the AI to generate a list of whatever you need; for example: “Write a list of blog titles for an article about email replies.”
    • For personal use, try this prompt for recommendations of movies, TV shows, or music. Be sure to specify your tastes to lead it in the right direction, such as by entering “Write a list of movie recommendations for fans of Barbie.”
  8. “Compare …”
    • Compare-and-contrast essays are fairly common assignments in school, and the skill of recognizing similarities and differences often comes in handy in life, too. To help you get a sense of comparisons, you can ask an AI to compare two things for you. Most AI programs will then list what’s the same and what’s different between them, pointing out some areas that you may have initially overlooked.
  9. “Tell me about …” or “Explain …”
    • Last but not least, with the entirety of the internet as their reference point, AI assistants can make great teachers. Simply ask one to tell you about or explain something, and it will usually respond with a clear and reasonable answer. Just be careful: There’s a lot of misinformation on the internet, so AI may cite incorrect sources and give you false information.
    • If you’re still having trouble understanding something, ask the AI assistant to explain it to you “like a child.” The AI will then use even simpler language and sometimes cute analogies.

What is an AI prompt?3 AI prompts are the text commands a user enters into an AI message box to get the AI to perform tasks.

What is AI writing?2 AI writing is when a human user asks a program built with artificial intelligence (AI) to generate text based on specific details.

How do AI prompts work?2 When you want an AI tool to perform a task like composing an email, the user writes what’s called a prompt. The prompt gives the AI all the information it needs to perform the task. Prompts can be as simple or complex as you need.

  1. How to Use GrammarlyGO Prompts to Help With All Your Writing Tasks ↩

  2. 19 Writing Tasks You Can Do With AI ↩ ↩2 ↩3

  3. The 9 Best Tips for Using AI Prompts for Writing ↩