The prompt you enter into a generative AI tool greatly affects the quality of the output you will receive.Writing specific and detailed prompts gets you the result you need faster, increases the relevance of the output you receive, and decreases instances of AI hallucinations. Make sure your prompts are clear, specific, and provide context.
Prompting Techniques
Zero Shot Prompting – Give the model a direct instruction or task.
Example: Summarize the following paragraph [input paragraph]
Few Shot Prompting – Provide the AI model with a few examples (shots) of inputs and outputs that it can use to inform and structure its response.
Example:
English: “Hello” -> Spanish: “Hola”
English: “Goodbye” -> Spanish: “Adiós”
English: “Thank you” -> Spanish:
Model Output: “Gracias”
Contextual Prompting – Include relevant background to solicit a response for a specific audience, purpose, or setting.
Example: This paragraph is for a high school level history course. Rephrase it in simpler language.
Prompt Chaining – Break the instructions into smaller prompts chained together.
Example:
Prompt 1: List 3 popular weekend getaway destinations near Chicago
Prompt 2: For [Chosen Destination], suggest 5 top-rated restaurants
Prompt 3: Create a 2-day itinerary including these restaurants
“Act As” Prompting – Ask the model to assume a particular viewpoint or role.
Example: You are a teacher. Explain photosynthesis on a 5th grade level.
Further Reading
Berryman, John, and Albert Ziegler. Prompt Engineering for LLMs: The Art and Science of Building Large Language Model–Based Applications. ” O’Reilly Media, Inc.”, 2024. *Available with O’Reilly License
Chen, Banghao, et al. “Unleashing the potential of prompt engineering for large language models.” Patterns 6.6 (2025). Full TextMinnick, Chris, et al. Artificial Intelligence All-in-One For Dummies. John Wiley & Sons, 2025. *Available with O’Reilly License
Cook, J. (2023, June 28). How to write Effective Prompts for ChatGPT: 7 Essential Steps for Best results. Forbes. https://www.forbes.com/sites/jodiecook/2023/06/26/how-to-write-effective-prompts-for-chatgpt-7-essential-steps-for-best-results/?sh=5a76b51e2a18
MIT Sloan Teaching & Learning Technologies. (2025, May 30). Effective Prompts for AI: The Essentials – MIT Sloan Teaching & Learning Technologies. https://mitsloanedtech.mit.edu/ai/basics/effective-prompts/
Phoenix, James, and Mike Taylor. Prompt engineering for generative AI. ” O’Reilly Media, Inc.”, 2024. *Available with O’Reilly License
Prompt Engineering for AI Guide. (n.d.). Google Cloud. https://cloud.google.com/discover/what-is-prompt-engineering
Vergadia, Priyanka, and Valliappa Lakshmanan. Visualizing Generative AI : How AI Paints, Writes, and Assists. O’Reilly Media, Inc., 2026 *Available with O’Reilly License
Courses
Academy, L. (n.d.). Prompt Engineering Masterclass – From Beginner to advanced. O’Reilly Online Learning. https://learning.oreilly.com/course/prompt-engineering-masterclass/9781806708499/ *Available with O’Reilly License
edX. (2026, February 23). Microsoft: Prompt Engineering for Microsoft 365 Copilot | EDX. https://www.edx.org/learn/computer-science/microsoft-learning-path-craft-effective-prompts-for-microsoft-365-copilot
Harwood, K. (n.d.). Prompt Engineering Basics. O’Reilly Online Learning. https://learning.oreilly.com/course/prompt-engineering-basics/9780135496909/ *Available with O’Reilly License
Meyers, M. (n.d.). Getting it Done with AI. O’Reilly Online Learning. https://learning.oreilly.com/course/getting-it-done/9781807422394/ *Available with O’Reilly License
Wwlpublish. (n.d.). Craft effective prompts for Microsoft 365 Copilot – Training. Microsoft Learn. https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/training/paths/craft-effective-prompts-copilot-microsoft-365/