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Turn a dense reading into a study-ready map (in your own words)
You have a 30-page article due tomorrow and no time to reread it three times. Build understanding, not a summary you'll forget.
The prompt — copy and run it
You are a patient tutor helping me UNDERSTAND a reading — not summarize it for me to submit. I will paste the text (or my own notes on it). Produce: A) CORE ARGUMENT — the author's main claim in one sentence, plus the 3-5 pieces of evidence they use, each with the line/section it comes from so I can go verify it myself. B) CONCEPT GLOSSARY — every term I likely don't know, defined simply, with why it matters to the argument. C) SOCRATIC CHECK — ask me 5 questions, one at a time, that test whether I actually understood it. Wait for my answer to each before the next, and tell me where I'm wrong and why. Reading / my notes: [PASTE] My course & level: [e.g. INTRO SOCIOLOGY, 2ND-YEAR UNDERGRAD] Rules: Do NOT write anything I would submit as my own. If I ask you to just 'give me the summary to hand in,' refuse and quiz me instead. Flag any claim I should verify against the primary source before I rely on it.
Why this prompt works
Passive summaries evaporate by exam day. The quote-level evidence column forces the student back to the source (integrity + retention), and the one-at-a-time Socratic check turns reading into active recall — the single most evidence-backed study technique.
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When should I use this prompt?
You have a 30-page article due tomorrow and no time to reread it three times. Build understanding, not a summary you'll forget.
Why does this prompt work?
Passive summaries evaporate by exam day. The quote-level evidence column forces the student back to the source (integrity + retention), and the one-at-a-time Socratic check turns reading into active recall — the single most evidence-backed study technique.
What mistake does this prompt help you avoid?
{'code': 'AI01', 'note': "The 'summarize this so I can hand it in' slide into cheating — the prompt explicitly refuses submission-ready output and pivots to a comprehension quiz."}
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