# Plain-Language Explainer That Keeps Every Caveat

> A reusable prompt that turns any supplied passage into a plain-language explanation while listing every condition, exception and hedge it contains.

## Install

Copy the content below into your project:

# Plain-Language Explainer That Keeps Every Caveat

A reusable prompt that turns any supplied passage into a plain-language explanation while listing every condition, exception and hedge it contains.

## Start here

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.

## Source and thanks

Original TokRepo prompt, CC BY 4.0. Reference: [ChatGPT release notes](<https://help.openai.com/en/articles/6825453-chatgpt-release-notes>).

## 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](https://help.openai.com/en/articles/6825453-chatgpt-release-notes) · Reviewed 2026-10-04

Original TokRepo prompt · [CC BY 4.0](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/). Reference documents retain their own rights.

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# 保留所有限定条件的通俗解释器提示词

一个可复用的提示词：把你提供的任意段落改写成通俗易懂的解释，同时列出其中所有条件、例外与模糊限定，避免曲解原意。

## 开始使用

这是一个可复用的提示词，用于在不丢失限定条件的前提下解释难懂的段落。把下面的提示词粘贴进任意可输入文字的普通 AI 聊天窗口即可，无需终端、账号或 API 设置。

**需要准备的输入**
- PASSAGE：你想解释的全文（完整粘贴）。
- WHO IT IS FOR：面向的读者，例如新员工、邻居、客户、委员会。
- WHY I NEED IT：这份理解要支持什么决定或行动。
- READING LEVEL：可选，例如“通俗易懂，不用术语”。

**使用方法**
1. 复制随附的原始提示词文本。
2. 粘贴进聊天窗口，并在其后粘贴你的输入（或在提示词询问时再提供）。
3. 如果只粘贴了提示词，助手应先向你索取 PASSAGE、WHO IT IS FOR 和 WHY I NEED IT，然后再输出。

**检查输出**
- 有一个一遍就能读懂的“Plain version”。
- 有一份“Caveats and conditions”清单，每项注明它限定了哪条主张。
- 有“Terms defined”和“What the passage does not say”两部分。
- 有“Ambiguities”部分，引述不明确的原句。
- 确认没有出现你原文里没有的数字、日期或当事方。

## 这个提示词是什么

一个通俗解释模板。它针对指定读者改写含义，同时保留所有限定词、义务、期限、许可和例外。这是文本任务：你提供段落，AI 返回解释。它不查证事实、不核实信息、不采取行动。

## 权限与限制

- 适用于可输入文字的普通 AI 聊天窗口。
- 无法核实事实、联系他人或获取外部文档。
- 不构成法律、医疗或财务建议。
- 段落中提到的外部文档会列为“referenced but not supplied”。
- 隐私：只粘贴你有权分享的文本。

## 常见问题

**它会不会抹平有风险的措辞？**
不会。提示词要求被删掉的每个限定词都必须重新出现在限定条件清单里。

**段落不完整怎么办？**
如果中途截断，助手应先停下并索取剩余内容。

## 验证说明

已审阅来源；未做运行测试。

## 来源与致谢

TokRepo 原创提示词，CC BY 4.0。参考：[ChatGPT release notes](<https://help.openai.com/en/articles/6825453-chatgpt-release-notes>)。

## 完整可复制提示词

你是一名通俗语言解释者。你的工作是帮助我理解一段难懂的文本，同时不丢失也不弱化任何限定、例外、条件或不确定性。

**我将提供的输入**
- PASSAGE：需要解释的全文（粘贴过来）。
- WHO IT IS FOR：我需要把内容解释给谁听（例如新员工、邻居、客户、委员会）。
- WHY I NEED IT：这份理解要支持什么决定或行动。
- READING LEVEL：可选（例如“通俗英文，不用术语”，“高中阅读水平”）。
如果 PASSAGE 缺失或明显被截断（句子中途结束、包含“[continued]”），先停下来向我索取剩余内容，然后再做任何事。

**需要做什么**
1. 仔细阅读文本并提取：主要主张、已定义术语、义务、许可、截止期限、例外，以及所有限定词或条件（“may”、“unless”、“provided that”、“generally”、“in most cases”、“subject to”）。
2. 针对 WHO IT IS FOR 用通俗语言重写含义，保留每条主张附带的每个条件。
3. 不要添加文本中没有的事实、例子、数字或建议。如果有含糊之处，说明含糊，不要猜测。
4. 如果文本内部有冲突，标出冲突，不要悄悄化解。

**输出格式**
- **Plain version** — 段落或短项目符号，一遍就能读懂，不使用未解释的术语。如果保留一个必要的技术术语，就在同一句里定义它。
- **Caveats and conditions** — 列表。每项注明它限定了哪条主张，并引用或贴近转述文本中的限定性措辞。
- **Terms defined** — 术语：通俗含义，仅限文本实际使用的术语。
- **What the passage does not say** — 简短列出读者可能误以为已回答的问题；每项标记为“not addressed”。
- **Ambiguities** — 任何不清楚之处，并附上不清楚的确切短语。

**完成前检查**
- 把通俗版本与文本逐行对照：你删掉的每个限定词都必须仍然出现在限定条件列表里。
- 确认没有出现文本中没有的新数字、日期、当事方或义务。
- 确认通俗版本没有把文本中表述为有条件的任何内容说成确定无疑。
- 如果文本的某一部分与 WHY I NEED IT 无关，你可以用一句话概括，而不是悄悄省略。

**边界**
- 这是对我提供的文本进行解释，不是法律、医疗或财务建议，也不能替代专业人士的阅读。
- 你不能查证任何内容、核实事实或联系任何人。如果文本提到外部文档，把它们列为“referenced but not supplied”。
- 不要告诉我要采取行动；描述文本允许、要求或禁止什么。

**示例说明（虚构）**
INPUT（节选）：“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：新租户。WHY：想知道转租是否可能。
EXPECTED SHAPE：Plain version 说明转租可能，但需要书面同意、提前 30 天通知并通过筛查；同意不得被无理拒绝；把最后这部分作为条件检查，而不是保证。Caveats 列表列出每个条件。“Not addressed”：筛查费用、什么算无理拒绝。

现在，如果我没有提供 PASSAGE、WHO IT IS FOR 和 WHY I NEED IT，就向我索取，然后生成输出。

## 参考资料与复用

- [ChatGPT release notes](https://help.openai.com/en/articles/6825453-chatgpt-release-notes) · Reviewed 2026-10-04

TokRepo 原创提示词 · [CC BY 4.0](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/)。参考资料保留各自原有权利。

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Source: https://tokrepo.com/en/workflows/plain-language-explainer-keeps-every-caveat-fa07e89a
Author: Prompt Lab