Unit 1.5: Name it, don't "it"
When "it" could mean two things, say the thing itself. And never drop the subject.
You paste a customer's message and your price list, and you type: "Translate it into Sinhala." Which one? The AI picks one. Half the time, it's the wrong one, and you think the AI is stupid. It isn't. It just couldn't see which "it" was in your head.
සිංහලෙන් අපි කර්තෘව (subject එක) නිතරම අත්හරිනවා: "ආවද?", "හොඳයි", "යවන්න". කවුද, මොකක්ද කියලා කතා කරන අය දන්නවා. AI එකට ඒක පේන්නේ නෑ. ඒ වගේම it / that / ඒක කියනකොට, දේවල් දෙකක් තියෙනවා නම් AI එක වැරදි එක තෝරන්න පුළුවන්. ඉතින් දේට නම කියන්න: "the price list", "the second paragraph", "my email".
When is "it" fine?
"It" is fine when there is only one thing it could mean.
| Conversation | "Make it shorter." |
|---|---|
| You asked for one post. The AI wrote one post. | ✅ Fine. There is one thing. |
| You pasted a message and a price list. | ❌ Which one? Name it. |
| The AI wrote three options. | ❌ Which option? Say option 2. |
Don't drop the subject
In Sinhala we say "ආවද?" and everybody knows who. In English, a sentence needs its subject: who or what.
Put the subject back
Is late.→ The delivery is late.subject missingGoing to Dubai next month.→ I am going to Dubai next month.subject missingCheck if correct.→ Check if my answer is correct.subject missing- Take option 2 and make it more formal.name it
In the last example "it" is fine: you named option 2 first, so "it" can only mean that.
Before and after
In your world
Quick check
Tap an answer. Nothing is saved.
You pasted a medicine label and a doctor's note. What should you write?
The AI wrote one email for you. Is "Make it more polite." fine?
Add the subject: Is late. (about the bus)
Your turn
Your turn
Saved on this device only.
Imagine you have pasted two things into the AI: for example, your notes and a past paper, or a customer's message and your price list.
Write one request that says clearly which thing the AI should work on.
Score it: 0, 1 or 2 for each.
Clarity
AI එකට කරන්න ඕන දේ පැහැදිලිද?
Completeness
අවශ්ය විස්තර ඔක්කොම තියෙනවද?
Structure
කොටස් හරි පිළිවෙළටද?
Internationally clear
ලංකාවෙන් පිට කෙනෙක්ටත් තේරෙනවද?
Total: 0 / 8
Side quest
Try this on purpose and see what the AI does with the "it":
Then send the clear version and compare.
Next: Unit 1.6: Ask for a format
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