Talking to AI

4/29/20262 min read

Talking to AI : Prompt Guide

Imagine hiring a brilliant assistant who has never met you, doesn't know your job, and can't read your mind. They will do exactly what you ask — no more, no less. The clearer your brief, the better the work. Prompting is just writing that brief. RGC and FTC are two short checklists that make sure nothing important is missing — so you stop going back-and-forth and get a great answer on the first try.

Why bother?

Two small habits that turn a vague chat with AI into a clear, professional answer with no coding, no jargon and no experience required.

FTC — Format · Tone · Constraints

RGC

What the AI should think about

Gives the AI the situation. Answers "who, what, and why."

FTC

How the answer should look

Gives the AI the shape. Answers "how should this be delivered?"

Role

Who should the AI pretend to be? (e.g. a friendly teacher, a financial advisor, a hiring manager.)

Goal

What do you actually want at the end? (e.g. a summary, an email, a study plan.)

Context

What does the AI need to know about you and the situation? (e.g. audience, deadline, background.)

Format

Bullet points? A table? An email? One paragraph? Say it out loud.

Tone

Formal, friendly, playful, professional, simple enough for a child?

Constraints

Any limits? (e.g. "under 100 words", "no jargon", "don't mention pricing".)

How they work together?

You

A question or task

RGC

FTC

AI ANSWER

Sets the scene
Role · Goal · Context

Shapes the answer
Format · Tone · Constraints

Clear, useful, on-target

A familiar example : ordering a coffee

"One medium cappuccino, please."

You already use RGC + FTC every day — you just don't call it that.

Role

"You're a barista."

Goal

"Make me a drink."

Format

"In a takeaway cup."

Tone

"Friendly, no small talk."

Context

"It's cold and I'm in a hurry."

Constraints

"No sugar, under ₱200."

See the difference

❌ Without sTRUCTURE

"Tell me about investing."

AI replies with a generic, 600-word textbook overview — accurate, but not useful for you.

"Help me with my CV."

AI asks ten vague questions back, or invents generic advice that doesn't fit your situation.

✅ With RGC + FTC

"Acting as a patient financial coach, explain investing to a 22-year-old with ₱2,000 a month to save, in 5 bullet points, plain English, no jargon."

AI replies with 5 short, friendly tips tailored to a new saver — ready to act on.

"You're a hiring manager at a bank. Rewrite the summary section of my CV (below) for an entry-level data role. Keep it to 3 sentences, confident but not arrogant."

AI delivers a focused, polished summary you can paste straight in.

A full worked example

❌ Weak prompt - no sTRUCTURE

Help me write a leave email to my manager.

✅ STRONG PROMPT - RGC + FTC

ROLE You are a helpful HR writing assistant. GOAL Draft a leave-request email to my manager. CONTEXT Asking for 3 days off (15–17 May) for a family event. My manager is Sarah. Our team is mid-project but my tasks are on track and I'll brief a teammate before I go.

FORMAT Short email with a subject line, greeting, 2–3 short paragraphs, and a sign-off. TONE Professional but warm — respectful, not stiff.

CONSTRAINTS Under 120 words. Don't promise to be reachable on leave. Offer a handover plan.

RGC gives you correctness.

Notice the difference.

The weak prompt leaves the AI guessing about everything — who, why, how long, how formal.

The strong prompt answers those questions up front, so the very first reply is usually good enough to send with tiny tweaks. You did the thinking once; the AI does the typing.

FTC gives you usability. Use both.