Jesper Dramsch , , , read in 4 minutes

One of the most helpful formats I use with chatGPT is called RTF, which stands for Role, Task, Format. It's a great way to ensure my responses are effective and concise.

Let's look at each part of the RTF format:

  1. Role: The Role determines how chatGPT should approach the response. It's like taking on a specific job or viewpoint. This can be a teacher, a doctor, or an expert in machine learning, among other roles, which helps give the best answer by considering the perspective needed for the situation.

  2. Task: The Task tells chatGPT what question or problem it needs to tackle. It helps define the goal of the response. This way, the text can be focused and contain accurate and relevant information.

  1. Format: The Format is all about how chatGPT structures and styles the response. It provides specific guidelines and technicalities that are required. By following the given format, we can tailor the answer to meet the task's needs effectively.

Using the RTF format ensures that chatGPT's response is aligned with what the user wants. It clarifies the response, reduces confusion, and allows for a more concise and targeted answer.

For example, let's say we're talking about weather data. Here's a specific RTF prompt:

  • Role: Meteorologist
  • Task: Explain how the El Niño affects global weather patterns.
  • Format: Provide an easy-to-understand explanation suitable for middle school students.

When we use the RTF format for this prompt, chatGPT responds like a meteorologist in its training data would.

We can combine this into

"Pretend to be a meteorologist and explain how the El Niño affects global weather patterns in an easy-to-understand explanation suitable for middle school students."

Hey there, middle schoolers! Today, I'm going to put on my meteorologist hat and explain how El Niño affects global weather patterns in a way that's easy to understand.

So, imagine you're at the beach, and you notice that the water feels warmer than usual. Well, that's kind of like what happens during El Niño. It's a natural climate pattern that occurs in the Pacific Ocean.

Normally, the winds blow from east to west across the Pacific Ocean, pushing warm surface water toward the western part of the ocean, near places like Indonesia. At the same time, cold water from deep down in the ocean moves up to the surface near the coast of South America.

But during El Niño, something interesting happens. The winds become weaker, and sometimes they even reverse. This causes the warm water that usually stays near Indonesia to move eastward, all the way to the coast of South America. As a result, the surface water near South America becomes warmer than usual.

Now, why does this matter? Well, when the water near South America warms up, it releases a lot of heat into the air above it. This warm air rises and creates changes in the atmosphere. These changes affect weather patterns worldwide.

During El Niño, some of the effects we can observe include:

  1. Changes in rainfall: Places that are usually dry might get more rain, while areas that are usually rainy might experience less rainfall. This can lead to floods in some regions and droughts in others.

  2. Shifts in temperature: Some areas might become warmer than usual, while others might get cooler temperatures. It's like a global game of weather mix-up!

  3. Tropical storms and hurricanes: El Niño can influence the formation and intensity of tropical storms and hurricanes. In some parts of the world, there may be fewer storms, while in other areas, there could be more intense storms.

It's important to note that El Niño doesn't cause the same changes in weather everywhere. Different regions experience different effects based on their location.

So, that's the scoop on how El Niño impacts global weather patterns. It's a fascinating phenomenon that shows us how interconnected our planet's climate systems can be.

This obviously needs some editing, like the "Hey there, middle schoolers" vibe is just off. But in general, I would say it's a good starting off point to form this into an informative article.

The RTF format is one of the most useful prompting techniques to get valuable quick answers out of large language models.

I originally answered this question in my newsletter.