Reading · 7 min · Lesson 4 of 9
Examples and constraints
Show what you want and say clearly what you do not want.
An example is worth a paragraph of description. If you want replies in your company's voice, paste two replies you are proud of and ask for a new one in the same style. This is often called few-shot prompting, and it controls tone, structure and length better than adjectives like professional or friendly.
Constraints narrow the space of possible answers: maximum 100 words, no bullet points, no technical jargon, do not promise delivery dates. Positive instructions work better than long lists of prohibitions, so where you can, say what to do instead of only what to avoid.
One caution: models copy examples closely. If both examples start with the same phrase, the new text probably will too. Use varied examples, or say explicitly which qualities to borrow.
Key takeaways
- Examples control tone and structure better than descriptions.
- Constraints narrow the answer; phrase them positively where possible.
- Vary your examples so the model borrows qualities, not phrases.