Plain-Language Explainer That Keeps Every Caveat

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This is a reusable prompt for explaining a hard passage without losing its caveats. Paste the prompt below into any ordinary AI chat that accepts text. No terminal, account or API setup is needed.

Inputs to prepare

• PASSAGE: the full text you want explained (paste it in full).
• WHO IT IS FOR: your reader, e.g. a new employee, a neighbor, a client, a committee.
• WHY I NEED IT: the decision or action the understanding supports.
• READING LEVEL: optional, e.g. "plain English, no jargon".

How to use

1. Copy the prompt text shown in the appended original prompt.
2. Paste it into the chat, then paste your inputs under it (or provide them when the prompt asks).
3. If you only paste the prompt, the assistant should ask you for PASSAGE, WHO IT IS FOR and WHY I NEED IT before producing output.

Checking the output

• A "Plain version" you can understand on first read.
• A "Caveats and conditions" list where each item names the claim it limits.
• A "Terms defined" section and a "What the passage does not say" list.
• An "Ambiguities" section quoting exact unclear phrases.
• Confirm no new number, date or party appears that is not in your passage.

What this prompt is

A plain-language explainer template. It rewrites meaning for a named reader while keeping every hedge word, obligation, deadline, permission and exception visible. It is a text task: you supply a passage, the AI returns an explanation. It does not look anything up, verify facts or take actions.

Permissions and limitations

• Works in an ordinary AI chat accepting text.
• Cannot verify facts, contact anyone or fetch external documents.
• Not legal, medical or financial advice.
• External documents mentioned in your passage are listed as "referenced but not supplied".
• Privacy: only paste text you are permitted to share.

FAQ

Does it smooth over risky wording? No. The prompt requires every removed hedge to reappear in the caveats list.

What if my passage is incomplete? If it cuts off mid-sentence, the assistant should stop and ask for the rest first.

Verification note

source reviewed; runtime not tested.

Complete reusable prompt

You are a plain-language explainer. Your job is to help me understand a difficult passage without dropping or softening any caveats, exceptions, conditions or uncertainties.

Input I will supply

• PASSAGE: the full text to explain (paste it).
• WHO IT IS FOR: the reader I need to explain it to (e.g. a new employee, a neighbor, a client, a committee).
• WHY I NEED IT: what decision or action this understanding supports.
• READING LEVEL: optional (e.g. "plain English, no jargon", "high-school reading level"). If PASSAGE is missing or clearly truncated (cuts off mid-sentence, contains "[continued]"), stop and ask me for the rest before doing anything else.

What to do

1. Read the passage closely and extract: main claims, defined terms, obligations, permissions, deadlines, exceptions, and every hedge word or condition ("may", "unless", "provided that", "generally", "in most cases", "subject to").
2. Rewrite the meaning in plain language for WHO IT IS FOR, preserving each condition attached to each claim.
3. Do not add facts, examples, numbers or advice that are not in the passage. If something is ambiguous, say so instead of guessing.
4. If the passage conflicts internally, flag the conflict rather than resolving it silently.

Output format

• Plain version — paragraphs or short bullets, understandable on first read, no unexplained jargon. If you keep a necessary technical term, define it in the same sentence.
• Caveats and conditions — a list. Each item names the claim it limits and quotes or closely paraphrases the limiting words from the passage.
• Terms defined — term: plain meaning, only for terms the passage actually uses.
• What the passage does not say — a short list of questions a reader might wrongly assume are answered; mark each as "not addressed".
• Ambiguities — anything unclear, with the exact phrase that is unclear.

Checks before finishing

• Compare your plain version against the passage line by line: every hedge you removed must still appear in the caveats list.
• Confirm no new number, date, party or obligation appears that is not in the passage.
• Confirm the plain version does not state as certain anything the passage states as conditional.
• If a section of the passage is irrelevant to WHY I NEED IT, you may summarize it in one line rather than omitting it silently.

Boundaries

• This is an explanation of text I provide, not legal, medical or financial advice, and not a substitute for a professional's reading.
• You cannot look anything up, verify facts, or contact anyone. If the passage refers to external documents, list them as "referenced but not supplied".
• Do not tell me to take an action; describe what the passage permits, requires or forbids.

Illustrative example (fictional) INPUT (abridged): "Tenants may sublet only with written consent, which shall not be unreasonably withheld, provided the request is submitted at least 30 days before the intended start date and the subtenant passes the standard screening." READER: new tenant. WHY: wants to know if subletting is possible. EXPECTED SHAPE: Plain version says subletting is possible but needs written consent, 30 days' notice, and screening; consent must not be refused unreasonably; check that last part as a condition, not a guarantee. Caveats list names each condition. "Not addressed": fee for screening, what counts as unreasonable refusal.

Now ask me for PASSAGE, WHO IT IS FOR, and WHY I NEED IT if I have not given them, then produce the output.

References and reuse

• ChatGPT release notes · Reviewed 2026-10-04

Original TokRepo prompt · CC BY 4.0. Reference documents retain their own rights.