chatgpt-clear-prompt-method
Module 5 · Lesson 1 of 4 · Course Lesson 16 of 26
The ITIAN CLEAR Prompt Method
Build prompts that explain the situation, state the task and describe a useful result. CLEAR gives you five memorable elements—without making every request long or complicated.
- Beginner
- About 20 minutes
- Interactive CLEAR worksheet
- 4-question check
Learning Objectives
What you will learn
By the end of this lesson, you will be able to:
- Explain what each letter in the ITIAN CLEAR Prompt Method means.
- Recognise why a vague prompt leaves important choices to ChatGPT.
- Write a complete prompt containing the five CLEAR elements.
- Use requirements, limits and supplied material without overloading the request.
- Compare the output from a vague prompt with an improved CLEAR prompt.
- Review an answer, verify important details and request a targeted refinement.
The Five-Part Framework
Make your intention CLEAR
The elements create a useful sequence. They do not need to appear as labelled headings in every prompt, and simple tasks may need only a short sentence.
Context
Give the situation and relevant background.
Lead with the task
Say exactly what ChatGPT should do.
Expectations
Add requirements, limits and source material.
Audience and tone
Say who it is for and how it should sound.
Review and refine
Inspect the answer and request improvements.
Clarity matters more than length
A good prompt contains the information needed for the task. It does not need decorative wording, repeated commands or every possible detail. Start with the smallest complete request and add context when it changes the answer.
Understand Each Element
Five questions that shape the result
Context
Share the background ChatGPT cannot reasonably know. Include your goal, situation, location, starting material or constraints only when they affect the work.
- “I run a small electrical service in New Zealand.”
- “This is for a beginner photography workshop.”
- “Use the notes pasted below as the source.”
Lead with the task
Use a direct action verb. Ask ChatGPT to write, compare, explain, summarise, organise, calculate, critique or ask questions.
- “Write a Google Business update…”
- “Compare these two options…”
- “Turn these notes into a checklist…”
Expectations
Define what success looks like: required points, length, format, boundaries, evidence, examples and material that must be used.
- “Keep it between 120 and 150 words.”
- “Use three benefits and finish with a call to action.”
- “If a fact is missing, mark it [TO CONFIRM].”
Audience and tone
Name the people who will use the result and the appropriate voice. Be specific enough to guide vocabulary, assumptions and explanation depth.
- “For New Zealand small-business owners…”
- “Use friendly, reassuring and professional language.”
- “Explain technical terms for complete beginners.”
Review and refine
Prompting continues after the first answer. Check accuracy, completeness, tone and usefulness. Then identify one precise change rather than asking vaguely to “make it better”.
- “List any details I should verify before publishing.”
- “Keep the structure, but make paragraph two easier for beginners.”
- “You missed the budget limit. Revise the plan to stay under $500.”
Weak Versus CLEAR
See what the extra information changes
Too many choices are left open
Write something about electrical maintenance.
- No situation or business context
- No content type or purpose
- No length, format or required points
- No audience or tone
- No verification step
The result has a defined job
I run a small electrical service in New Zealand. Write a friendly 150-word Google Business update explaining our preventative maintenance service. Use plain language for small-business owners, include three benefits and finish with a clear call to action. Then list any details I should verify before publishing.
- C: New Zealand electrical service
- L: Write a Google Business update
- E: 150 words, three benefits, call to action
- A: Small-business owners; friendly plain language
- R: List details requiring verification
Interactive Worksheet
Build your own CLEAR prompt
Write one or two useful sentences in each field. Your worksheet is saved in this browser. Avoid private or confidential information.
Reusable Structure
A CLEAR prompt template
Context: I am [role or situation]. The relevant background or source material is [context]. Lead with the task: [Write, explain, compare, organise or review] [specific task]. Expectations: Include [requirements]. Use [format or supplied material]. Keep within [limit]. Do not [boundary]. Audience and tone: This is for [audience]. Use a [tone] tone and [reading level or language style]. Review and refine: Before finishing, [check or flag uncertainty]. Then ask me whether I want [likely next refinement].
You can write naturally
The labels make CLEAR easy to learn, but ChatGPT does not require them. Once the habit becomes familiar, combine the elements into a natural paragraph—as shown in the strong example above.
Common Prompt Problems
Clarity without over-controlling
Too vague
“Make this better” does not explain the goal. Name the audience, problem and kind of improvement needed.
Too many unrelated jobs
A long list of separate tasks makes omissions more likely. Split complex work into stages and review each stage.
Conflicting instructions
“Write a detailed report in 50 words” creates an impossible trade-off. Decide which requirement matters most.
Missing source material
Do not refer to “the document” unless it is attached, pasted or clearly available in the current conversation.
Unnecessary role-play
A useful role can set expertise or perspective, but exaggerated titles do not replace context, evidence or clear requirements.
No review plan
Even a strong prompt can produce errors. Check important claims and refine the response rather than treating it as final.
Practical Activity
Upgrade and compare two prompts
Choose a safe, low-risk task. Complete the worksheet above and keep a short comparison note as your evidence. Progress is stored in this browser.
Knowledge Check
Check your understanding
Finish the Lesson
Record your progress
Official References
Prompting guidance from OpenAI
CLEAR is an original ITIAN teaching framework. Its practical principles align with OpenAI guidance on instructions, context, examples and iterative prompt development.