Why use prompts

Good ideas are specific, relevant, and explain how something works. Prompts act like buttons you press to produce reasons, mechanisms, and examples on demand.

6 universal idea engines

1. PESTLE lens

• Political, Economic, Social, Technological, Legal, Environmental
  Use to widen angles: Which two lenses best explain this topic

1. Who What How Result

• Who is affected
• What changes
• How does it work
• Result or trade off
  Great for topic sentences.

1. Cause–Effect–Fix

• Root cause → effect on group → fix with mechanism
  Perfect for Problem–Solution.

1. Stakeholder swap

• Government, Business, School, Family, Individual
  Ask: What can each do in one actionable step

1. Scale switch

• Home → Neighborhood → City → Nation
  Move one level up or down to find examples.

1. Time path

• Past → Now → Next
  Show change and predict a logical next step.

Prompt cards by question type

Opinion

• Benefit prompt: Who gains and how
• Cost prompt: Who loses and why
• Evidence prompt: What real rule, policy, or study supports this

Frame: I agree because [mechanism 1] improves [outcome], and [mechanism 2] reduces [risk].

Discussion

• Fair case for View A: strongest reason and example
• Fair case for View B: strongest reason and example
• Tie breaker: which solves more problems with fewer costs

Frame: On balance, B is stronger since it achieves [result] with lower [cost].

Problem–Solution

• Root cause: price, access, incentives, information
• Levers: price signals, defaults, nudges, rules, tech
• Feasibility: cost, scale, time, public support

Frame: Do X by Y so that Z happens.

Advantage–Disadvantage

• Advantage test: scalable, inclusive, durable
• Disadvantage test: cost, equity, risk
• Verdict: which side is heavier and why

Frame: Gains outweigh losses because [A] helps [group] by [how], while [B] is limited by [constraint].

GT letters

• Purpose prompt: request, complaint, apology, thanks
• Action prompt: what you want by when
• Tone prompt: formal, semi, informal wording switch

30 second topic map

Write 3 spokes from the topic: cause, impact, response. Under each, add one bullet for a group you choose. Pick the two strongest to build your body paragraphs.

Example run: remote work

• PESTLE picks: Economic and Social
• Cause–Effect–Fix
  • Cause: commute time
  • Effect: lost focus hours
  • Fix: core hours plus meeting free blocks
    Topic sentence: Core hours raise output by aligning meetings and freeing long focus blocks.

Example run: plastic waste

• Stakeholders: City, Retailers, Households
• Actions: city adds pay by weight bins; retailers shift to deposit bottles; homes set two bin default
  Mechanism: deposits move money upfront so returns become routine.

Quick example bank prompts

• Education: curriculum update, teacher training, device access
• Health: prevention vs treatment, pricing, nudges
• Transport: frequency, pricing, last mile links
• Environment: standards, incentives, monitoring tech

Add one local example for each.

Evidence prompts that sound real

• A city trial
• A school pilot
• A company policy change
• A survey of 500 users
  Use one precise detail, not a long story.

Avoid idea traps

• Vague nouns: things, a lot → replace with precise terms.
• List without mechanism → add by or through clause.
• Off topic examples → test: does it prove the topic sentence

Micro templates to turn ideas into lines

• Mechanism: X improves Y by reducing or adding Z.
• Trade off: While X helps Y, it creates cost C for group G.
• Feasible fix: Policy P works because it changes price or time or information.
• Verdict: Overall, [side] is stronger since its benefits are larger and more durable.

10 minute routine

1. 1 min: label the question type and underline task words.
2. 2 min: pick two engines (for example PESTLE and Stakeholder).
3. 3 min: generate three bullets with mechanisms.
4. 3 min: write thesis and two topic sentences using the bullets.
5. 1 min: choose one compact evidence line for each body.

Checklist before writing

• Two clear reasons or one cause plus one solution
• Each reason has a mechanism with by or through
• One specific example ready
• Stance or verdict stated in one line
• No vague words left

Mini practice set

Prompt: Some cities plan to ban private cars from centers.

• Engines: Stakeholder, Trade off
• Body 1 idea: Buses every 5 minutes cut wait time and shift commuters.
• Body 2 idea: Access permits for disabled drivers protect equity.

Prompt: Free university education

• Engines: PESTLE, Time path
• Body 1 idea: Expands skilled workers over a decade.
• Body 2 idea: Tax caps and service bonds manage cost now.

Build your personal prompt deck

• 12 cards: PESTLE, Who What How Result, Cause–Effect–Fix, Stakeholder swap, Scale switch, Time path, plus six domain cards you meet often.
• Add one local example to each card.
• Review before practice; use two cards per essay.

Final advice
Press two prompt buttons, extract mechanisms, and convert them to thesis and topic sentences. With a tiny deck and a short routine, you will never run out of relevant ideas under time pressure.