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Prompt library · Communication · 24 prompts

Prompts from the guide

How to write an email people answer

24 prompts from this guide. Fill in whatever sits in [square brackets] — your own context, the document text or the name of your tool. That context is exactly what separates a generic answer from a usable one.

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Rewrite, smooth, trim

I'm a [role] writing to [recipient — relationship, how long
you've known each other, formality level].
Below is my draft email.

Rewrite it so that it:
- is businesslike and polite without being obsequious,
- has no reproach or irony in it,
- keeps my facts exactly as they are (don't add or remove any),
- opens with one sentence that makes clear why I'm writing,
- ends with a specific request and a deadline.

Keep the formality at [formal / formal business / neutral
professional / collegial].

Below the rewrite, list three bullet points: what you changed
and why.

Draft:
[paste text]

Rewrite, smooth, trim

Trim this email to five sentences at most, so the recipient
knows exactly:
1. why I'm writing,
2. what they need to do,
3. by when.

Cut everything else, even if it sounds important. Don't add
any new information. Keep the same level of formality and a
[businesslike / warm / neutral] tone.

Return two versions: one with a greeting and sign-off, one
plain-text for a message continuing an existing thread.

Original:
[paste text]

Rewrite, smooth, trim

My email is written at [formality level] with a [describe]
tone. I need it shifted [one degree more formal / one degree
more casual], and moved from [Mr./Ms. Surname / first name]
address to [the other].

Rules:
- adjust the salutation to match the new register,
- adjust the sign-off to match the new formality level,
- flag anywhere you're guessing at the recipient's gender
  or preferred name instead of being sure,
- leave facts and numbers unchanged.

Text:
[paste text]

Rewrite, smooth, trim

Check only spelling, punctuation, and typos in this text.
Don't change anything else: leave word order, style, sentence
length, and phrasing alone, even if they sound a bit rough.

Return:
1. the corrected text,
2. a list of the fixes made, formatted "original → fixed."

Text:
[paste text]

Find what’s missing from a message

You're an experienced assistant reviewing work emails before
they're sent. Read the text below and answer these questions
briefly, no padding:

1. What's the main request? Quote the sentence it's in.
   If there isn't one, write "no request found."
2. Is there a deadline in the text? Quote it, or write
   "no deadline found."
3. How many different things does the message cover? List them.
4. What information does the recipient need that isn't here?
5. Which sentence could be read two different ways?

Don't rewrite the text, just answer.

Email:
[paste text]

Find what’s missing from a message

Read this email through the eyes of [describe the recipient:
role, mood, how much time they have, their relationship to me],
and write:

1. How they'd read the tone sentence by sentence — where they
   might feel attacked, lectured, or dismissed.
2. Which passage could read as blame.
3. What they'd think first after reading it.
4. What their worst possible reply might look like.

Don't rewrite it. I just want the risks.

Email:
[paste text]

Find what’s missing from a message

Split this email into separate messages, one for each thing
it covers.

For each one, return:
- a subject line in the format "[topic] — [what's expected]
  (by [deadline])",
- a body of five sentences at most,
- who to send it to, if that's clear from the text.

If something doesn't belong in an email at all (it's really
a phone call or a quick chat message), say so and explain why.

Original text:
[paste text]

Find what’s missing from a message

Write ten subject line options for this email.

Rules:
- each one 30 to 60 characters,
- the key word first,
- no "question," "info," "important," "urgent,"
- five of the ten should include a deadline, five shouldn't.

For each option, add one note: what situation it suits, and
what could backfire.

Email:
[paste text]

Read someone else’s message for you

Read this email and answer in four short points:

1. What does the sender want from me? Phrase it as a task,
   with a verb.
2. By when? If no deadline is given, write "no deadline stated."
3. What's fact here, and what's the sender's opinion or
   assumption?
4. What should I watch out for — what's left unsaid?

Don't infer anything that isn't there. If something's missing
from the message, say it's missing.

Email:
[paste text]

Read someone else’s message for you

Below is a full email thread ([number] messages, [date range]).

Return:
1. A timeline — who decided or promised what and when, one
   bullet per event, with a date.
2. Where there's agreement.
3. Where the parties disagree.
4. Open items: what, who, by when.
5. What's specifically expected of me ([your name/role]).

If you're not sure about something, write "unclear" instead
of guessing.

Thread:
[paste text]

Read someone else’s message for you

This email is written in the jargon of my field. Rewrite it
for [describe the recipient: field, knowledge level, what
they care about].

Rules:
- don't leave any technical term unexplained,
- replace technical detail with what it means for the
  recipient ("what this means for you"),
- don't oversimplify to the point of being wrong,
- below the text, list the terms you replaced, formatted
  "original term → replacement," so I can check it.

Text:
[paste text]

Ready-made drafts for hard messages

Write three versions of an email turning down [what: a
project, an invitation, a discount request, a collaboration].

Context:
- who I'm writing to: [role, relationship, how long we've
  known each other]
- the real reason for turning it down: [state it honestly]
- what I can offer instead: [nothing / a different date /
  a referral]

Versions:
A) short and businesslike (5 sentences max),
B) warmer, preserving the relationship for the future,
C) final, with no door left open.

For each version, add one sentence on when to use it.
Don't invent reasons I didn't give you.

Ready-made drafts for hard messages

Prepare three escalating reminders about [what: a proposal,
an invoice, a sign-off] for [recipient].

Facts:
- what I sent and when: [date]
- what I need: [specific action]
- what happens if it's missed: [consequence]
- prior communication: [summary]

Level 1: soft, assumes it got overlooked.
Level 2: specific deadline, references the earlier message.
Level 3: formal, states the next step.

For each level, suggest how many days to wait before sending.
No reproach, no irony, no all caps anywhere.

Ready-made drafts for hard messages

Help me write an email admitting a mistake.

Facts (don't add anything):
- what happened: [description]
- when: [date and time]
- who's affected and how: [impact]
- what I've already done: [steps, past tense]
- what I'll do and by when: [steps with dates]
- what I'll change so it doesn't happen again: [fix, or
  "not sure yet"]

Structure: fact → impact → what's done already → what's next
→ one apology.
Not allowed: passive phrasing that hides who's responsible,
downplaying ("a small hiccup"), blaming a third party, promises
not backed by the facts above.

Ready-made drafts for hard messages

I got this angry email. Help me draft a reply in two steps.

Step 1: split the content into three columns —
(a) what's factually true,
(b) what's factually wrong,
(c) what's just tone and emotion.

Step 2: propose a reply that:
- opens by acknowledging what's true,
- states the facts on the inaccuracies matter-of-factly,
  without the word "disagree,"
- doesn't comment on the tone at all,
- closes with a concrete next step and a deadline, plus an
  offer to talk by phone.

Must not include: defending my work, a list of my
accomplishments, references to past disputes, irony.

Email:
[paste text]

Ready-made drafts for hard messages

Draft a message to [a government office] regarding [the matter].

Details:
- case identification: [reference number / case number /
  parcel / contract]
- what I'm requesting: [specific action]
- relevant dates and deadlines: [list]
- my details: [name, address, contact]

Requirements for the text:
- formal register, addressed to "Dear Sir or Madam" or
  "Dear Mr./Ms. [Surname]" depending on [gender/role],
- phrase the request using "I am writing to request…",
- no emotion or judgment of how the office has handled it,
- close with contact details and "Yours sincerely."

Cite only the regulations or statutes I've given you above.
Don't look up or invent anything else.

Ready-made drafts for hard messages

Write the body of an email applying for a job listing.

Inputs:
- the listing: [paste the listing text]
- my actual experience: [paste points from your résumé]

Rules:
- 15 lines max, four paragraphs,
- first sentence: the role, the posting number, and where
  I saw it,
- second paragraph: two or three concrete matches to the
  listing, each backed by my actual experience,
- third paragraph: one sentence of motivation that wouldn't
  work for a different company,
- fourth: availability and attachment.

Don't add any experience, skill, or number that isn't in my
materials. If something's missing, list the questions at the end.

Ready-made drafts for hard messages

Write a short follow-up after [a meeting / interview / call]
on [date].

Materials:
- who with: [name, role]
- what we discussed: [3–5 points from my notes]
- what I promised: [list]
- what the other side promised: [list]
- one thing I wanted to say and didn't get to: [text or "none"]

Output: 8 lines max, one sentence of thanks, a bulleted
recap of what was agreed with dates, and my next step at the end.
Don't add anything we didn't actually agree on.

Making it sound like you

Below are ten emails I wrote myself.

Analyze my style and return:
1. Average sentence and paragraph length.
2. My typical openings and closings.
3. Words and phrases I repeat.
4. What I avoid (expressions that never show up in my writing).
5. My formality level on a 1–5 scale, by recipient type.

Summarize the result as a "style card" of ten bullet points
that I'll paste in as a briefing next time.

My emails:
[paste 10 emails]

Making it sound like you

Here are five emails I write over and over with small variations.

Turn them into a single template:
- leave the shared parts unchanged,
- replace the variable parts with bracketed placeholders,
  described,
- at the end, list the placeholders with an example value each,
- flag anywhere the template is risky (where auto-filling it
  could sound off).

Emails:
[paste texts]

Making it sound like you

Translate this email into English for [describe the recipient:
country, role, how formal the relationship is].

Requirements:
- keep a level of politeness that matches the original, but
  fit it to how that's expressed in the target setting,
- don't use literal translations of phrases that don't make
  sense in English,
- leave names, numbers, dates, and amounts unchanged (convert
  dates to the target country's usual format),
- below the translation, add three notes on where you had to
  shift the tone, and why.

Text:
[paste text]

Checking and learning from mistakes

You're a strict proofreader for work email. Go through this
email against the checklist below and write "fine" or a
specific problem for each point:

1. Subject line: does it state the topic and the expected
   action? Under 60 characters?
2. Salutation: right level of formality? Right title/name?
3. Opening sentence: is it clear why I'm writing?
4. Request: is there one, is it specific, is it addressed
   to someone?
5. Deadline: is it there, and is it specific?
6. Length: readable on one phone screen?
7. Tone: any irony, reproach, or passive aggression anywhere?
8. Attachments: does the text mention one? Which?
9. Recipients: does the text make clear who's cc'd and why?
10. Sensitive data: is there anything here that shouldn't go
    by email?

End with one sentence: send, or rewrite?

Email:
[paste text]

Checking and learning from mistakes

I sent these three emails and got no reply to any of them
(send date, recipient, and full text for each below).

Find the pattern:
1. What do they have in common in the subject line?
2. What do they have in common in structure?
3. Where's the request in each, and how is it phrased?
4. What three specific things should I change about my
   emails in general?

I don't want rewrites, I want a diagnosis. Be specific and
quote from the texts.

Emails:
[paste texts]

Checking and learning from mistakes

Propose three versions of the same message for [recipient,
situation]:

A) minimal — just the fact and the request, 3 sentences max,
B) standard — with brief context, 5 sentences max,
C) careful — for a sensitive situation, acknowledging the
   other side's position, 8 sentences max.

For each, note when to use it and what its risk is.
The actual content must be identical across all three.

What I need to convey:
[content]

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