Mayfield Learning

Prompts and tools

A few handy things to keep close as you learn. These are written starter prompts and guides. You can try the text prompts with ChatGPT’s free plan; limits may apply.

Want a guided exercise? Try a first AI task, or practice a first message in a lesson.

Starter prompts

Copy any of these into ChatGPT and change the words in brackets to fit you.

Writing

A warm thank-you

Write a short, warm thank-you note to my neighbour for bringing us soup. Keep it friendly and under 3 sentences.

A polite email

Help me write a polite email to my landlord asking to fix the leaking tap. Keep it calm and under 4 sentences.

A birthday message

Write a friendly birthday message for my granddaughter who is turning ten.

Understanding

Explain it simply

Explain this in plain, simple words: (paste the confusing sentence here).

What does this word mean?

What does this word mean, in everyday language: (the word)?

Shorten a long message

Summarise this into 3 short, simple points: (paste the long message here).

Planning

Easy dinners

Give me 3 easy dinners I can make with eggs, bread, and cheese. Keep the steps short.

A packing list

Make me a simple packing list for one night away. I just need the basics.

Questions for the doctor

Help me write 5 short, clear questions to ask at my next doctor's visit about my knee.

Everyday

A bedtime story

Tell me a short, gentle bedtime story for a 6-year-old about a kind little fox.

Make it friendlier

Reword this to sound warmer and friendlier: (paste your message here).

A small kind idea

Suggest one small, kind thing I could do for someone today. Keep it simple.

Words you’ll hear

The handful of words people use about AI, in plain English.

Short for “artificial intelligence.” Software that can help with tasks such as writing or finding patterns. It can be wrong.

ChatGPT

The AI chat tool used in these lessons. It has a free plan with limits and optional paid plans. Check its replies before using them.

Prompt

Just the message you type. “Write me a short list” is a prompt, nothing fancier.

Chatbot

A tool you chat with by typing. ChatGPT is one.

Account

Your own space, that you sign into with an email address.

“Sign up” means make it for the first time. “Log in” means come back to it later.

Free vs Plus

The free plan works for our first text tasks, with limits. Plus is an optional paid plan with its own terms.

Staying safe & in control

A short, calm checklist. Keep it in mind and you’ll be just fine.

Never type passwords, bank or card numbers, or full account numbers.

Use made-up details for practice. Leave out full names, addresses and health details.

These first text tasks do not need a paid plan. If a limit stops you, pause and try later.

Use AI to understand things, letters, words, choices, in plain language.

For money, health, legal, or big decisions: check with a qualified professional.

AI can sound sure and still be wrong. Double-check anything that really matters.

New to all this? Start with “What is AI, in plain words”, it takes about four calm minutes. Have a question? Visit the FAQ.