ChatGPT-4 for Beginners: Five Prompts to Improve Accuracy
TLDR: These five prompts help beginners use ChatGPT-4 for accurate answers, structured planning, tailored ideas, quick summaries, and transparent data completion. Each is designed for practical, everyday business use without requiring technical expertise.
How can beginners get better results from ChatGPT-4?
ChatGPT-4 is back...you can use it as a legacy model despite the release of model 5. ChatGPT-4 can boost productivity, simplify problem-solving, and help you generate new ideas, but only if you give it the right instructions. The model responds to your prompts, so the clearer and more specific they are, the better the output.
These five prompt types tackle common business challenges: reducing errors, structuring strategy, creating role-specific ideas, condensing information, and filling data gaps with clear reasoning.
1. How do you stop ChatGPT-4 from making mistakes?
AI “hallucinations” happen when the model produces confident but incorrect answers. You can reduce these by building accuracy checks into your prompt.
Example prompts:
- “Based on the provided document, cite the source and paragraph for the following information.”
- “If the information is insufficient, respond with: ‘The data provided is insufficient to answer this query.’”
Why it works: These instructions force ChatGPT-4 to either reference its sources or admit when it doesn’t have enough data, giving you more reliable outputs for research, reports, or compliance-sensitive work.
2. How can ChatGPT-4 help with strategic planning?
SWOT analysis (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, Threats) is a common strategic tool, and ChatGPT-4 can prepare a first draft in seconds.
Example prompts:
- “Conduct a SWOT analysis for [Company/Project], identifying strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats.”
- “Analyse the potential risks and opportunities for launching a new product in the tech industry.”
Why it works: You get a structured framework to refine, saving hours of manual drafting and helping you see both risks and opportunities clearly.
3. How do you get ChatGPT-4 to create prompts for your specific role?
Instead of thinking up every prompt yourself, you can ask ChatGPT-4 to do it for you, tailored to your job.
Example prompts:
- “Create 30 prompts for a marketing manager to enhance brand visibility.”
- “Generate 20 prompts for a teacher to engage students in online learning.”
Why it works: You end up with a ready-to-use library of ideas and workflows that fit your role, reducing planning time and sparking new approaches.
4. How can ChatGPT-4 save time on long conversations or meeting notes?
Scanning through lengthy transcripts, chats, or emails is slow. ChatGPT-4 can summarise the essentials so you focus only on what matters.
Example prompts:
- “Summarise the main discussion points and outcomes from the attached meeting notes.”
- “Provide a concise summary of the key arguments from this email thread.”
Why it works: It condenses information into a quick-read format, keeping you informed without losing important details — perfect for managers and busy decision-makers.
5. How do you use ChatGPT-4 to fill in missing data?
When data is incomplete, ChatGPT-4 can suggest reasonable completions and explain how it got there.
Example prompts:
- “Fill in the missing data in this table and explain each step of your reasoning.”
- “Complete the missing sales figures in this report, detailing assumptions made.”
Why it works: Asking for a step-by-step explanation makes the result transparent, which is critical for finance, reporting, or audit purposes.
Why these five prompts matter for beginners
Each of these prompt types solves a specific, real-world problem:
- Avoiding false information.
- Structuring complex plans.
- Generating tailored resources.
- Condensing long content.
- Completing data with justifications.
For a beginner, they’re a quick way to build confidence and see measurable value from ChatGPT-4 without a steep learning curve.
FAQ
Q: Do I need to customise these prompts every time?
A: Yes, adjust details like your company name, industry, or data source for the best results.
Q: Can I use these prompts with other AI tools?
A: In most cases, yes — they work across many text-based AI platforms.
Q: How soon will I see benefits?
A: Many users notice time savings and improved clarity from their first few uses.
If you want to move beyond beginner prompts and design a prompt library built for your workflows, our AI Fundamentals Masterclass shows you how to test, refine, and document prompts so they deliver consistent, business-ready results.