Briefle words · Prompt craft
Chain of thought
Reasoning through intermediate steps before giving a final answer; asking an AI to show these steps lets you check how it got there.
Say it to an AI
Compare the 2-year cost of these two plans for 4 lines. Lead with a one-line answer (which plan and by how much), then show the math as a short list so I can check it.
How an expert would ask for the stronger version of “Phone plan decision”.
See it
Try it as a puzzle →A parent asks an AI which of two family phone plans costs less over a two-year contract.
Why: B's reply is all chain of thought ('First, let's look at Plan A…'); A keeps the steps but moves them below the answer as a checkable list.
Related words
Room 3 · Output format
Learn “Chain of thought” in a five-minute lesson