PTENES
For people who have never used AI

The first 20 prompts, ready to paste

You don’t need to understand how AI works to save an hour a day with it. You need a well-written prompt. Here are twenty, organized by your situation, with what you should see in the answer.

An open notebook with handwritten notes, a pen, and a phone on the kitchen table in the morning
What it is

A toolkit, not a course

Twenty prompts that work in any AI chat (ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini, Copilot, including free versions). Copy one, replace the parts marked between < > with your own, paste it, and compare the answer with what this toolkit says you should see.

🗂️ Organized by situation, not theory

Reply to a difficult email, understand a long document, build a spreadsheet, choose between two options, help a customer. You search by the situation you’re in, not by a concept.

👀 You know what to expect

Each prompt says what a good answer should include and the most common mistake beginners make. Without that, you can’t tell whether the answer worked.

🔒 No risk

None of the requests use real client data, ID numbers, or passwords. Test with changed names, and only use the result for real after you’ve checked it.

How to use it

Four steps, one minute

The same process works for all twenty requests. After the third time, you can do it from memory.

1 · Find the situation→ 2 · Copy the prompt→ 3 · Replace what’s between < >→ 4 · Compare with “what you should see”

Where to paste it

In any AI chat. Start a new conversation for each request so the previous topic doesn’t get mixed up with the new one.

What to change

Only what’s between < and >. The rest of the prompt is already designed to get a good answer. If you want to change the tone or length, change it there; don’t delete the instructions.

If it comes out wrong

Don’t start over. Write in the same conversation: “that’s too long, cut it in half” or “change the tone to be more direct.” The second response is almost always right.

The 20 prompts · by situation

Paste, change, compare

Six everyday situations. The orange text in the prompt is what you replace. The copy button puts the entire prompt on your clipboard.

A · Write something you’ve been putting off

Emails, messages, and announcements that get stuck because the tone is delicate or the page is blank.

1

Reply to a difficult email

When someone asked for something you need to deny, postpone, or correct, and you rewrote your reply three times without sending it.

Preciso responder um e-mail. Quem escreveu: <cliente, chefe, colega ou fornecedor>. O que aconteceu, em duas frases: <resumo do pedido ou do problema>. O que eu quero que aconteça depois da minha resposta: <ex.: que ele aceite o novo prazo de sexta>.
Escreva a resposta em até 8 linhas, educada e firme, sem pedir desculpas mais de uma vez. No fim, me diga em uma frase qual trecho da resposta faz o pedido principal.
What you should seeA short answer with the main request clearly stated in the middle, and a separate sentence pointing out where it is. If you can’t find the request in 5 seconds, ask “put the main request in the first sentence.”
Common mistakePaste the other person’s entire email without saying what you want to happen. AI politely responds to nothing.
2

Send a short message to a client

Confirm an appointment, let someone know you’re running late, remind them about a payment. Three-line messages you keep putting off.

Escreva uma mensagem curta de WhatsApp para <cliente ou paciente>. Motivo: <ex.: confirmar a consulta de quinta às 15h>. Meu tom com clientes é <próximo e informal / cordial e profissional>. Máximo de 3 linhas, sem emoji, terminando com uma pergunta simples que a pessoa consiga responder com uma palavra.
What you should seeThree lines, one reason, and a question at the end like “can you confirm?” If you get a formal email, say “this is for WhatsApp, cut it to 3 lines.”
Common mistakeNot saying what tone you want. AI picks a bank-like tone, and the client finds it strange.
3

Write an announcement for the team

A change in rules, schedule, or system. It needs to be clear without sounding cold.

Escreva um comunicado interno para <a equipe toda / o setor de X>. O que muda: <ex.: a partir de 1º de outubro os pedidos de férias passam a ser feitos pelo sistema, não por e-mail>. Por que muda: <motivo em uma frase>. O que a pessoa precisa fazer e até quando: <ação e prazo>.
Estrutura: título de uma linha, o que muda, por quê, o que fazer, a quem perguntar. Tom cordial e direto, até 12 linhas. Nada de "prezados colaboradores".
What you should seeFive short blocks in the requested order. The action and deadline appear on their own line, easy to find.
Common mistakeAsk for "a vacation announcement" without saying what’s changing. You get generic text that no one reads.
4

Improve a text you’ve already written

You have a draft. You want to make it clearer without making it sound like someone else wrote it.

Abaixo está um texto meu. Melhore só a clareza: frases mais curtas, sem repetição, sem mudar o que eu quis dizer nem o meu jeito de escrever. Mantenha o tamanho parecido. Depois, liste em 3 linhas o que você mudou e por quê.

Texto:
<cole aqui o seu rascunho>
What you should seeThe text still sounds like you, just cleaner, with a short list of what changed. If it rewrote everything, say "too much changed; make only cuts and word swaps".
Common mistakeAsk "improve this text." Without limits, AI replaces the text with something else in its own voice.

B · Understand something long or difficult

Documents, contracts, reports, and terms that land on your desk when you don’t have time to read them carefully.

5

Summarize a long document

A 20-page report, meeting minutes, a manual. You need to know what matters before the meeting.

Vou colar um documento. Resuma em 3 partes: (1) do que se trata, em 2 frases; (2) as 5 informações que mais importam para <quem você é, ex.: a gestora de RH que precisa decidir se aprova>; (3) o que o documento pede que alguém faça, com prazos, se houver. Se algum ponto estiver confuso no original, diga qual, em vez de inventar.

Documento:
<cole o texto aqui>
What you should seeThree numbered parts. In part 2, five items related to your role, not a general summary. If it says “the document doesn’t make X clear,” great: that’s a sign of honesty.
Common mistakeNot saying who you are. The summary is written for a generic reader and leaves out exactly what mattered to you.
6

Explain a term or clause in plain language

A contract clause, a health plan term, an acronym everyone uses and no one explains.

Explique o trecho abaixo como se eu tivesse 15 anos e nunca tivesse visto isso: o que ele diz, o que muda para mim na prática, e uma pergunta que eu deveria fazer a quem me mandou isso antes de assinar ou aceitar. Até 10 linhas. Se houver risco de você estar errado por falta de contexto, avise.

Trecho:
<cole o termo ou a cláusula>
What you should seeAn explanation without jargon, a concrete “in practice” example, and a ready-to-ask question. The question is the most valuable part.
Common mistakeTreat the explanation as a final opinion. It’s there to help you understand and ask questions, not to decide on a contract by yourself.
7

Translate something technical for a client

The technician explained the problem in terms you only half understood, and now you need to explain it to the customer.

Reescreva a explicação abaixo para <um cliente leigo / um paciente / a diretoria>: sem termos técnicos, dizendo o que aconteceu, o que isso significa para a pessoa e o que vai ser feito, em até 6 linhas. Mantenha os fatos, não invente prazo nem promessa que não esteja no original.

Explicação original:
<cole o que o técnico ou o especialista escreveu>
What you should seeSix lines in plain Portuguese, three blocks: what happened, what it means, what will be done. No new deadlines that weren’t in the original.
Common mistakeLetting AI “fill in” a promised deadline. Always check whether every commitment in the final text appeared in the original version.

C · Organize the work

Simple spreadsheets, busy weeks, and meetings that need to be productive.

8

Build a simple spreadsheet from scratch

You know what you want to track, but you don’t know which columns to create or how to calculate the total.

Quero controlar <ex.: os pagamentos dos pacientes por mês> numa planilha. Me diga: (1) as colunas, na ordem, com um exemplo de linha preenchida; (2) qual coluna é preenchida à mão e qual é calculada; (3) a fórmula de cada coluna calculada, escrita como eu digito no Excel ou no Google Planilhas, com a célula de exemplo; (4) uma linha de total no fim. Uso <Excel em português / Google Planilhas>.
What you should seeAn example table with one filled-in row and formulas that start with “=” and reference cells, such as “=SOMA(D2:D31)”. Copy a formula, paste it into the indicated cell, and watch the number appear.
Common mistakeNot saying which program and language you use. The formula comes in English (“SUM”) and causes an error in Excel in Portuguese.
9

Organize the week from a messy list

You have 15 things on your mind and no order. Get them all down and ask for an order.

Abaixo está tudo o que preciso fazer esta semana, sem ordem. Organize em: (1) o que tem prazo ou consequência se atrasar, com o dia; (2) o que rende mais se feito cedo; (3) o que pode esperar a semana que vem sem prejuízo. Depois, proponha uma ordem para <segunda e terça> com no máximo 4 itens por dia. Não invente tarefas que eu não listei.

Lista:
<despeje aqui, uma por linha, do jeito que vier>
What you should seeThree groups with your items, nothing extra, and two days with up to 4 tasks each. If an item was “summarized” and lost its meaning, correct it in the conversation.
Common mistakeAccept the order without reading it. AI doesn’t know that item 7 depends on someone who’s on vacation. Adjust the two or three things it couldn’t have known.
10

Prepare for a meeting that needs to end with a decision

Half an hour with four busy people. Without an agenda, it turns into a conversation. With an agenda, it leads to a decision.

Monte a pauta de uma reunião de <30> minutos sobre <ex.: se abrimos a clínica aos sábados>. Participantes: <quem e o papel de cada um>. A reunião precisa terminar com <ex.: uma decisão sim/não e quem faz o quê>.
Entregue: 3 a 4 blocos com minutos, a pergunta exata que cada bloco responde, o que cada pessoa deveria trazer pronto, e a frase de fechamento que registra a decisão.
What you should seeBlocks with minutes that add up to 30, one question per block, and a ready-to-use closing line. Send the agenda beforehand; “what to bring prepared” is what makes the meeting productive.
Common mistakeNot saying what outcome the meeting needs to produce. You get an “alignment” agenda, which is a fancy name for a meeting without a decision.

D · Make decisions more calmly

AI doesn’t decide for you. It organizes what you already know and shows you what you haven’t asked yet.

11

Compare two options honestly

Switch providers, decide whether to hire, or choose whether to buy or rent. You already have a preference and want to test it.

Estou decidindo entre <opção A> e <opção B>. Contexto: <3 frases sobre a sua situação, dinheiro, prazo e o que importa>. Eu estou inclinado a <A ou B>.
Faça: (1) os 3 prós e 3 contras de cada uma, específicos para o meu contexto; (2) o argumento mais forte CONTRA a opção que eu prefiro; (3) a informação que eu ainda não tenho e que mudaria a decisão. Não escolha por mim.
What you should seePros and cons that take your context into account, a counterargument to your preference that stings a little, and one missing piece of information. If part 2 is weak, ask "be tougher on my preference."
Common mistakeHiding your preference. AI tends to agree with whoever asks; by saying which way you’re leaning, you can deliberately ask for the opposing view.
12

Discover the questions you should ask beforehand

Before you sign, hire, buy, or accept. The costly mistake is almost always the question that wasn’t asked.

Vou <ex.: contratar uma empresa para refazer o site da loja>. Nunca fiz isso. Liste as 10 perguntas que uma pessoa experiente faria antes de fechar, em ordem de importância, cada uma com uma linha dizendo por que ela importa e qual resposta seria um sinal de alerta.
What you should seeTen questions in order, each with the “why” and a warning sign. Take the first five to your conversation with the provider.
Common mistakeAsk for "tips on hiring X." You get a generic list of advice. Ready-to-use questions are more useful than advice.
13

Check a number or claim before passing it along

Someone sent you a piece of information with total confidence. You’re about to pass it along to management or a client. Check it first.

Recebi esta afirmação e vou repassá-la: "<cole a frase ou o número>". Antes de repassar, me diga: (1) o que precisaria ser verdade para essa afirmação estar certa; (2) como eu conferiria isso em 5 minutos, com fonte ou conta; (3) o que muda se estiver errada. Se você não tiver certeza, diga que não tem, em vez de confirmar.
What you should seeA way to check the answer that you can follow on your own in 5 minutes, and an honest response about its own uncertainty. AI can also confidently get numbers wrong; the value here is the method, not the verdict.
Common mistakeAsk "is this right?" AI answers "yes" or "no" with the same confidence either way. Ask how to check, not for a verdict.

E · Customer service and sales

Complaints, service descriptions, and promotion that gets put off because no one has time.

14

Respond to a complaint without making things worse

The client is angry, with or without reason. The response needs to calm them down, resolve the issue, and avoid promising what you can’t deliver.

Um cliente reclamou. O que ele disse: <cole ou resuma a reclamação>. O que de fato aconteceu: <a sua versão, honesta>. O que eu posso oferecer: <ex.: refazer sem custo até sexta>. O que eu NÃO posso oferecer: <ex.: devolver o dinheiro>.
Escreva a resposta em até 8 linhas: reconheça o incômodo sem se humilhar, diga o que vai fazer e quando, e termine com um próximo passo claro. Nenhuma promessa fora do que eu listei.
What you should seeAcknowledge the issue in one sentence, give a solution with a deadline, and state the next step. Check that nothing from "I can’t offer" slipped in under another guise.
Common mistakeNot listing what you can’t offer. AI, trying to please, promises a refund.
15

Describe a service to someone who doesn’t know the subject

For the website, service menu, sign, or catalog. The people reading it aren’t in the industry.

Descreva o serviço "<nome do serviço>" para um cliente que não entende do assunto. O que ele resolve para a pessoa: <o problema que o cliente sente>. O que está incluído: <lista>. O que não está: <lista>. Preço ou faixa: <se quiser mostrar>.
Até 6 linhas, começando pelo problema do cliente e não pelo nome técnico. Sem superlativos ("o melhor", "incrível").
What you should seeThe first sentence talks about the person’s problem, not the service. No “best,” “excellence,” or “quality.” If it sounds like an ad, ask it to “remove the adjectives and stick to the facts.”
Common mistakeStart with the technical name of the service. Clients don’t search for “lymphatic drainage”; they search for “reduce swelling after surgery.”
16

Write a simple post about some news

A new product arrived, a new time slot opened, there’s a promotion. One post a week, without an agency.

Escreva 3 versões de um post para <Instagram / WhatsApp / Facebook> sobre <a novidade, em uma frase>. Quem lê: <ex.: clientes do bairro, 35 a 60 anos>. Meu tom é <de bairro, próximo / profissional>. Cada versão com até 4 linhas e um convite claro no fim (vir, chamar, responder). Uma versão mais séria, uma mais leve, uma que faz uma pergunta. Sem hashtag, sem emoji.
What you should seeThree short, distinct texts, each with an invitation. Choose one, change a word to make it sound like you, and post it.
Common mistakeAsk for "a post" and accept the first one. Ask for three and choose—that’s how you avoid generic agency copy.

F · Make better requests and learn with AI

The four prompts that change all the others: get AI to ask questions, teach, offer options, and adjust its tone.

17

Have AI ask questions before answering

When you don’t know how to explain what you want. Turn it around: let it ask you questions.

Quero <o que você precisa, mesmo mal explicado, ex.: um jeito de organizar os pedidos da loja>. Antes de responder, me faça as 5 perguntas que você precisa para fazer isso bem, uma de cada vez, esperando a minha resposta. Só depois das 5 entregue o resultado.
What you should seeOne question, not five at once, and no answer before you respond. If it dumps everything on you at once, say “one at a time.”
Common mistakeThink you need to know how to write a prompt. If you don’t know what you want, use this prompt first and the others afterward.
18

Learn anything from scratch in 15 minutes

A new topic has come up at work, and you need to follow a conversation about it tomorrow.

Me ensine <o assunto, ex.: o que é nota fiscal eletrônica de serviço> do zero, para alguém que <quem você é e por que precisa>. Em 4 partes: (1) o que é, em 3 frases, com uma comparação do dia a dia; (2) as 3 palavras que as pessoas usam e o que significam; (3) o erro que iniciantes cometem; (4) 3 perguntas para eu me testar, com as respostas escondidas no fim. Tempo de leitura: 10 minutos.
What you should seeFour short sections, a concrete comparison in the first, and three questions with answers at the end. Answer the questions before you look.
Common mistakeAsk "explain X." You get an article. Structure and a time limit are what turn an article into a lesson.
19

Ask for three versions instead of one

Works with any text. Choosing from three is easier and faster than fixing one.

Preciso de <o que, ex.: um título para o comunicado sobre o novo horário>. Me dê 3 versões bem diferentes entre si: uma direta, uma mais calorosa, uma mais curta. Para cada uma, uma linha dizendo quando ela funciona melhor. Não escolha por mim.
What you should seeThree clearly different options, not the same sentence with synonyms, and one “when to use it” line for each. If they seem similar, ask for “more differences between them.”
Common mistakeAccept the first answer to any prompt. The first is the most common, not the best.
20

Adjust the tone without starting over

The content was right, but the tone was wrong. Don’t delete the conversation: adjust it.

O conteúdo está bom. Mude só o tom: <ex.: menos formal, mais direto, sem "prezado", como eu falaria com um colega>. Corte pela metade. Mantenha todos os fatos, prazos e nomes exatamente como estão.
What you should seeThe same content, shorter, in your voice. Check that no deadline or name changed along the way.
Common mistakeStart a new conversation and explain everything again. In the same conversation, AI already knows the context; you just make adjustments.
Practical tips

Ten things no one tells you on your first day

Each one saves you a frustration. Read them once; you’ll remember them when the time comes.

1

Say who you are and who it’s for

“I own a clinic with 6 professionals” changes the whole answer. AI without context responds to a generic person who doesn’t exist.

2

Describe the outcome, not the process

“I want the client to accept the new deadline” gets better results than “write a polite email.” What you want to happen is the most important information.

3

Never paste real client data

Name, ID, phone number, account amount: replace them with made-up data. The chat is a service outside your company. The request works just as well with “Client A.”

4

Numbers, deadlines, and laws: always double-check

AI gets numbers wrong with the same confidence it gets them right. Verify anything involving calculations, deadlines, or legal rules against the source before passing it along.

5

Didn’t turn out well? Adjust it, don’t start over

“Shorter,” “less formal,” “remove the adjectives,” “in the first sentence.” The second response in the same conversation is almost always better.

6

Set a length limit

“Up to 8 lines,” “3 sentences,” “one page.” Without a limit, AI writes too much, and long text is what makes people give up on using it.

7

Ask what NOT to do

“No emojis,” “don’t promise a deadline,” “no ‘dear all.’” What you prohibit prevents the most common rework.

8

One conversation per topic

A new conversation for every task. Mixing the supplier’s email with the payment spreadsheet confuses AI and confuses you.

9

Ask for the source of the uncertainty, not certainty

“If you’re not sure, say so” works. AI starts pointing out where it’s guessing, and that’s worth more than a polished answer.

10

Save the requests that worked well

A text file with your 5 favorite prompts, with your context already filled in. In the second week, you won’t type anything: just paste and change one word.

Examples

Four people, four first prompts

None of them had used AI for work. Each started with one request from the kit and stuck with it.

Marta, HR manager · request 3

She needed to tell 120 employees that vacation requests were moving from email to the system. She pasted in prompt 3 with "what’s changing, why, and by when." The announcement came out in 11 lines, with the action and deadline on their own lines. She cut one sentence and sent it. Before, this text took an afternoon and three rounds of revisions.

Beatriz, clinic owner · prompt 2

She used to confirm appointments on WhatsApp by writing every message herself. She used prompt 2 with “friendly and casual,” saved the three-line template, and now only changes the name and time. The receptionist does the same. She added prompt 14 the following week, after a patient complained about a delay.

Paulo, marketing coordinator · prompt 16

Four stores, one new item each week, and a post no one was writing. He asks for three versions, picks one, and changes one word. After a month, he started using prompt 11 to compare two campaigns before spending: the "counterargument to my preference" has already saved him from a bad ad.

Renata, customer service manager · prompt 7

She received technical explanations from the team and needed to pass them on to 800 customers in plain language. Prompt 7 became routine: paste in the technician’s explanation, ask for a customer-facing version, check that no new deadline appeared, and send it. She says the "don’t invent a deadline" part protects her the most.

Next steps

From kit to course

This kit is the starting point. If you want to go further, there’s a ready-made path at INEMA.CLUB.

Now
The 20 prompts and 10 tips (this page)Use it for two weeks. Save the five that work best for your job, with your context already filled in.
After
“AI from Scratch” course (4 short lessons)For people who want to understand why each prompt works, with practice using their own work and no technical material. In preparation at INEMA.CLUB.
Whenever you want
The Super Agents Have Arrived (6 lessons)The next step: when AI stops waiting for instructions and starts taking on responsibilities. How to decide what to delegate and what limits to set. Open the course.