Introduction to Prompt
Engineering
CONTENTS
. What is Prompt Engineering? . Why is Prompt Engineering Important?
. Simple Example . Prompt Types
. Prompt Engineering Techniques . Real-World Use Cases
. Common Mistakes . Good Prompting = Better AI Usage
. Interactive Exercise . Final Thought
What is Prompt Engineering?
What is Prompt Engineering?
Prompt Engineering is the art and science of writing
Think of it like asking a very smart robot a
effective inputs (prompts) to get the best possible
question — but how you ask matters a lot!
outputs (responses) from AI models like ChatGPT,
Gemini, or Claude.
Why is Prompt Engineering Important?
Why is Prompt Engineering Important?
AI Models Functionality Importance of Prompts Applications of Prompt
These AI models don’t read your The better the prompt, the more
Engineering
mind — they only respond based accurate, relevant, and useful the In fields like education, software
on the prompt. answer. development, marketing,
research, etc., people use prompt
engineering to improve
productivity.
Simple Example
Simple Example
Bad Prompt
· "Tell me about Python."
Good Prompt
· "Explain Python programming for beginners in points with
simple examples."
Prompt Types
Prompt Types
Type Example Purpose
Instructional “Summarize this text in bullet Directs the AI to perform a
points.” specific task.
Zero-shot “Translate this into French: I love No example given.
programming.”
Few-shot “Translate ‘Hello’ to French: Gives examples.
Bonjour. Translate ‘Thank you’
to French:”
Chain-of-thought “First think step by step, then Forces AI to think step-by-step.
answer the math problem.”
Prompt Engineering Techniques
Prompt Engineering Techniques
Technique What It Means Example
Role Playing Ask AI to act like a specific expert “You are a math teacher. Explain
Pythagoras Theorem.”
Constraints Give limits or instructions “Write a poem in exactly lines.”
Formatting Output Ask for tables, lists, JSON, etc. “Give output in a table format.”
Step-by-Step Guide the AI to follow a process “Explain step-by-step how to
make a website.”
Refinement Refine your prompt after seeing “Make it shorter” or “Add
AI’s response examples.”
Real-World Use Cases
Real-World Use Cases
Teachers Programmers Students Designers/Writers
Creating quizzes, Debugging, code Learning help, study Creative story writing,
explanations, generation, guides, mock blog ideas, social media
summaries. documentation. interviews. posts.
Common Mistakes
Common Mistakes
Vague Prompts
❌ Vague Prompts → Confusing or irrelevant answers.
Too Many Tasks
❌ Too Many Tasks in One Prompt → Mixed or incomplete
responses.
Lack of Context
❌ No Context → AI doesn’t know what you want exactly.
Good Prompting = Better AI Usage
Good Prompting = Better AI Usage
Clarity Specificity Context Structure
✔ Be clear ✔ Be specific ✔ Give context ✔ Ask for structure if
needed
Interactive Exercise
Interactive Exercise
Ask students to improve a prompt:
Original: "Tell me about AI"
➡ Make it better:
"Explain Artificial Intelligence in simple words with real-life examples for th-grade students."
Final Thought
Final Thought
“A powerful AI is only as smart as the person prompting it.”
Prompt Engineering = Human Creativity + AI Power
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