[Prompt] Principles of Prompting Guidlines
Principle 1
- Write clear and specific instructions
- clear !== short
Clear and specific instructions for a model will guide it towards the desired output, reduce irrelevant or incorrect responses, and longer prompts can provide more clarity and context for the model, leading to more detailed and relevant outputs.
Tactic 1: Use delimiters
Triple quotes: """,
Triple backticks: ```,
Triple dashes: ---,
Angle brackets: <>,
XML tags: <tag></tag>example:
text = f"""
You should express what you want a model to do by \
providing instructions that are as clear and \
specific as you can possibly make them. \
This will guide the model towards the desired output, \
and reduce the chances of receiving irrelevant \
or incorrect responses. Don't confuse writing a \
clear prompt with writing a short prompt. \
In many cases, longer prompts provide more clarity \
and context for the model, which can lead to \
more detailed and relevant outputs.
"""
prompt = f"""
Summarize the text delimited by triple backticks \
into a single sentence.
```{text}```
"""
response = get_completion(prompt)
print(response)
Tactic 2: Ask for a structured output
JSON, HTML
prompt = f"""
Generate a list of three made-up book titles along \
with their authors and genres.
Provide them in JSON format with the following keys:
book_id, title, author, genre.
"""
response = get_completion(prompt)
print(response)[
{
"book_id": 1,
"title": "The Lost City of Zorath",
"author": "Aria Blackwood",
"genre": "Fantasy"
},
{
"book_id": 2,
"title": "The Last Survivors",
"author": "Ethan Stone",
"genre": "Science Fiction"
},
{
"book_id": 3,
"title": "The Secret of the Haunted Mansion",
"author": "Lila Rose",
"genre": "Mystery"
}
]
Tactic 3: Ask the model to check whether conditions are satisfied
text_1 = f"""
Making a cup of tea is easy! First, you need to get some \
water boiling. While that's happening, \
grab a cup and put a tea bag in it. Once the water is \
hot enough, just pour it over the tea bag. \
Let it sit for a bit so the tea can steep. After a \
few minutes, take out the tea bag. If you \
like, you can add some sugar or milk to taste. \
And that's it! You've got yourself a delicious \
cup of tea to enjoy.
"""
prompt = f"""
You will be provided with text delimited by triple quotes.
If it contains a sequence of instructions, \
re-write those instructions in the following format:
Step 1 - ...
Step 2 - …
…
Step N - …
If the text does not contain a sequence of instructions, \
then simply write \"No steps provided.\"
\"\"\"{text_1}\"\"\"
"""
response = get_completion(prompt)
print("Completion for Text 1:")
print(response)Completion for Text 1:
Step 1 - Get some water boiling.
Step 2 - Grab a cup and put a tea bag in it.
Step 3 - Once the water is hot enough, pour it over the tea bag.
Step 4 - Let it sit for a bit so the tea can steep.
Step 5 - After a few minutes, take out the tea bag.
Step 6 - Add some sugar or milk to taste.
Step 7 - Enjoy your delicious cup of tea!
text_2 = f"""
The sun is shining brightly today, and the birds are \
singing. It's a beautiful day to go for a \
walk in the park. The flowers are blooming, and the \
trees are swaying gently in the breeze. People \
are out and about, enjoying the lovely weather. \
Some are having picnics, while others are playing \
games or simply relaxing on the grass. It's a \
perfect day to spend time outdoors and appreciate the \
beauty of nature.
"""
prompt = f"""
You will be provided with text delimited by triple quotes.
If it contains a sequence of instructions, \
re-write those instructions in the following format:
Step 1 - ...
Step 2 - …
…
Step N - …
If the text does not contain a sequence of instructions, \
then simply write \"No steps provided.\"
\"\"\"{text_2}\"\"\"
"""
response = get_completion(prompt)
print("Completion for Text 2:")
print(response)Completion for Text 2:
No steps provided.
Tactic 4: "Few-shot" prompting
Give successful examples of completing tasks
Then ask model to perform the task
prompt = f"""
Your task is to answer in a consistent style.
<child>: Teach me about patience.
<grandparent>: The river that carves the deepest \
valley flows from a modest spring; the \
grandest symphony originates from a single note; \
the most intricate tapestry begins with a solitary thread.
<child>: Teach me about resilience.
"""
response = get_completion(prompt)
print(response)<grandparent>: Resilience is like a tree that bends with the wind but never breaks.
It is the ability to bounce back from adversity and keep moving forward,
even when things get tough. Just like a tree that grows stronger with each storm it weathers,
resilience is a quality that can be developed and strengthened over time.
Principle 2
- Give the model time to think
Tactic 1: Specify the steps required to complete a task
text = f"""
In a charming village, siblings Jack and Jill set out on \
a quest to fetch water from a hilltop \
well. As they climbed, singing joyfully, misfortune \
struck—Jack tripped on a stone and tumbled \
down the hill, with Jill following suit. \
Though slightly battered, the pair returned home to \
comforting embraces. Despite the mishap, \
their adventurous spirits remained undimmed, and they \
continued exploring with delight.
"""
# example 1
prompt_1 = f"""
Perform the following actions:
1 - Summarize the following text delimited by triple \
backticks with 1 sentence.
2 - Translate the summary into French.
3 - List each name in the French summary.
4 - Output a json object that contains the following \
keys: french_summary, num_names.
Separate your answers with line breaks.
Text:
```{text}```
"""
response = get_completion(prompt_1)
print("Completion for prompt 1:")
print(response)Completion for prompt 1:
Two siblings, Jack and Jill, go on a quest to fetch water from a hilltop well, but misfortune strikes as they both fall down the hill, yet they return home slightly battered but with their adventurous spirits undimmed.
Deux frères et sœurs, Jack et Jill, partent en quête d'eau d'un puits au sommet d'une colline, mais ils tombent tous les deux et retournent chez eux légèrement meurtris mais avec leur esprit d'aventure intact.
Noms: Jack, Jill.
{
"french_summary": "Deux frères et sœurs, Jack et Jill, partent en quête d'eau d'un puits au sommet d'une colline, mais ils tombent tous les deux et retournent chez eux légèrement meurtris mais avec leur esprit d'aventure intact.",
"num_names": 2
}
Ask for output in a specified format:
Completion for prompt 2:
Summary: Jack and Jill go on a quest to fetch water, but misfortune strikes and they tumble down the hill, returning home slightly battered but with their adventurous spirits undimmed.
Translation: Jack et Jill partent en quête d'eau, mais un malheur frappe et ils tombent de la colline, rentrant chez eux légèrement meurtris mais avec leurs esprits aventureux intacts.
Names: Jack, Jill
Output JSON: {"french_summary": "Jack et Jill partent en quête d'eau, mais un malheur frappe et ils tombent de la colline, rentrant chez eux légèrement meurtris mais avec leurs esprits aventureux intacts.", "num_names": 2}This approach is easy to parse and less likely to make mistake.
Tactic 2: Instruct the model to work out its own solution before rushing to a conclusion
In the following example, the answer is wrong
prompt = f"""
Determine if the student's solution is correct or not.
Question:
I'm building a solar power installation and I need \
help working out the financials.
- Land costs $100 / square foot
- I can buy solar panels for $250 / square foot
- I negotiated a contract for maintenance that will cost \
me a flat $100k per year, and an additional $10 / square \
foot
What is the total cost for the first year of operations
as a function of the number of square feet.
Student's Solution:
Let x be the size of the installation in square feet.
Costs:
1. Land cost: 100x
2. Solar panel cost: 250x
3. Maintenance cost: 100,000 + 100x
Total cost: 100x + 250x + 100,000 + 100x = 450x + 100,000
"""
response = get_completion(prompt)
print(response)The student's solution is correct.We can fix this by instructing the model to work out its own solution first.
prompt = f"""
Your task is to determine if the student's solution \
is correct or not.
To solve the problem do the following:
- First, work out your own solution to the problem.
- Then compare your solution to the student's solution \
and evaluate if the student's solution is correct or not.
Don't decide if the student's solution is correct until
you have done the problem yourself.
Use the following format:
Question:
```
question here
```
Student's solution:
```
student's solution here
```
Actual solution:
```
steps to work out the solution and your solution here
```
Is the student's solution the same as actual solution \
just calculated:
```
yes or no
```
Student grade:
```
correct or incorrect
```
Question:
```
I'm building a solar power installation and I need help \
working out the financials.
- Land costs $100 / square foot
- I can buy solar panels for $250 / square foot
- I negotiated a contract for maintenance that will cost \
me a flat $100k per year, and an additional $10 / square \
foot
What is the total cost for the first year of operations \
as a function of the number of square feet.
```
Student's solution:
```
Let x be the size of the installation in square feet.
Costs:
1. Land cost: 100x
2. Solar panel cost: 250x
3. Maintenance cost: 100,000 + 100x
Total cost: 100x + 250x + 100,000 + 100x = 450x + 100,000
```
Actual solution:
"""
response = get_completion(prompt)
print(response)Let x be the size of the installation in square feet.
Costs:
1. Land cost: 100x
2. Solar panel cost: 250x
3. Maintenance cost: 100,000 + 10x
Total cost: 100x + 250x + 100,000 + 10x = 360x + 100,000
Is the student's solution the same as actual solution just calculated:
No
Student grade:
Incorrect
Model Limitations
Hallucination
- Makes statements that sound plausible but are not true
Reducing hallucinations:
- First find relevant information
- Then answer the question
- based on the relevant information
