Check my message for anything that could be misunderstood
Stress-tests a draft before you send it: ambiguous phrases, tone risks, and the questions readers will come back with.
The prompt
Review my message before I send it and find anything that could be misunderstood or prompt follow-up questions.
My message: [PASTE]
Readers: [WHO - roles, seniority, how familiar they are with the topic, native language if relevant]
What I want them to understand or do: [GOAL]
Sensitivities: [e.g. "reorg rumors", "recent missed deadline", "new manager"]
Check for:
1. Ambiguity - words or sentences with two reasonable readings (e.g. "next Friday", "we", "soon", "the issue", "should").
2. Missing context - things I know that the reader doesn't.
3. Tone risks - phrases that could read as blunt, passive-aggressive, alarming, or dismissive, especially in writing without facial cues.
4. Hidden implications - what a nervous or skeptical reader might infer (e.g. job security, blame, a change being final).
5. Likely questions - the 3 to 6 questions readers will ask after reading, in order of likelihood.
Return a table: | Phrase or issue | How it could be read | Risk (High/Med/Low) | Suggested fix |
Then:
- Answers to the likely questions that I could add to the message, or prepare for, using only the information I've given; mark gaps [ADD].
- A revised version with the high-risk fixes applied.
Keep my meaning and voice; flag rather than change anything that alters my intent.
Highlighted [brackets] are blanks to replace with your own details.
Fill in the blanks and use this promptMore Email & Workplace Communication prompts
What to fill in
- PASTE
- GOAL
- e.g. "reorg rumors", "recent missed deadline", "new manager"
- ADD
How this prompt is built
This prompt follows the Few-Shot structure (Few-shot prompting). A few-shot prompt includes one or more worked examples of the input and the output you want, so the model can copy the pattern instead of guessing it.
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