Help me develop an essay that I understand and can honestly submit under my school’s AI policy. Do not invent research, quotations, citations, personal experiences, or evidence. Do not write a final submission for me if my assignment prohibits AI drafting. Inputs - Assignment prompt, requirements, and allowed AI use: [ASSIGNMENT] - My preliminary answer, notes, and position: [MY THINKING] - Sources, class materials, and quotations I am allowed to use: [SOURCES] - Audience, required citation style, and target length: [REQUIREMENTS] - Current stage: [CURRENT STAGE] First, restate the assignment as a question and identify what kind of reasoning it requires: analysis, argument, comparison, explanation, or reflection. Then produce: 1. A tentative thesis that makes a specific, arguable claim and names the main reasons or tension it will address. 2. A detailed outline with introduction, body paragraphs, counterargument or complication where appropriate, and conclusion. For each body paragraph, provide a claim, evidence from [SOURCES], explanation of how the evidence supports the claim, and transition. 3. If [CURRENT STAGE] permits drafting, write one model body paragraph of 180–230 words from the outline. Otherwise give sentence starters and a revision checklist. 4. Three questions I should answer in my own words before finalizing. Do not use quotations unless they appear in [SOURCES], and mark each quotation or paraphrase that needs a page number or citation check. Before answering, test whether the thesis actually answers [ASSIGNMENT] and whether every paragraph has analysis rather than plot summary or unsupported opinion. Ask up to 3 clarifying questions only if a required input is missing.
Fill in
| Placeholder | What to enter | Example |
|---|---|---|
| [ASSIGNMENT] | Paste the full assignment prompt, rubric, deadline context, and your teacher’s rules for AI use. | AP U.S. History: argue how far the New Deal changed the federal government’s role, using class sources; AI may be used for outlining but not for submitted prose. |
| [MY THINKING] | Share your initial answer, observations, notes, and uncertainties in your own words. | I think the New Deal expanded federal responsibility through relief and regulation, but it did not end racial exclusion or fully solve unemployment. |
| [SOURCES] | Paste or describe the assigned readings, research notes, quotations, and source details you are allowed to use. | Class notes on the CCC, Social Security Act, Wagner Act, and Supreme Court cases; excerpts from FDR’s 1933 inaugural address and the Social Security Act. |
| [REQUIREMENTS] | State the audience, length, citation style, and required structure or number of sources. | 800–1,000 words, formal academic audience, Chicago-style footnotes, at least three class sources. |
| [CURRENT STAGE] | Say whether you are brainstorming, outlining, drafting a practice paragraph, or revising. | Outlining and checking my thesis before I draft it myself. |
How to use
- Paste the exact assignment rules first, especially what AI assistance your instructor permits.
- Add your own notes and the assigned source excerpts so the outline is grounded in material you have read.
- Check every quote, paraphrase, page number, and citation against the original source.
- Follow up with: “Here is my draft paragraph: [PARAGRAPH]. Diagnose the claim-evidence-analysis balance without rewriting it for submission.”
Variations
Thesis workshop
Use this when you have read the material but cannot form a focused claim.
Help me workshop a thesis for this assignment: [ASSIGNMENT]. My notes are [NOTES], and I may use these sources: [SOURCES]. Give me three distinct thesis options, each answering the prompt directly and naming a defensible line of reasoning. For each, state what evidence would challenge it and which source supports it best. Do not write an essay or invent evidence. Check that none of the options merely repeats the prompt or makes a claim too broad to prove in [WORD COUNT] words.
Source synthesis
Use this when you need to connect several assigned sources.
Help me synthesize these sources for an essay: [SOURCE EXCERPTS]. The assignment is [ASSIGNMENT], and my tentative claim is [THESIS]. Make a source map showing each source’s claim, useful evidence, limitation or bias, and how it agrees, complicates, or disagrees with the others. Then suggest an outline order that creates an argument rather than one paragraph per source. Use only text I provide and flag quotations that need page numbers or context checks.
Draft diagnosis
Use this when you have a complete draft and need revision guidance.
Diagnose this essay draft against the assignment: [DRAFT] [ASSIGNMENT] [RUBRIC]. Do not rewrite it. Give a prioritized revision plan covering thesis, paragraph claims, evidence integration, analysis, counterargument, organization, citations, and sentence-level clarity. Quote only short phrases from my draft to locate problems. Mark places that summarize instead of analyze and claims that need evidence. Check that revisions preserve my argument and that any citation suggestion is based on a source I named.
Tips
- A thesis is not a topic statement; it must answer the prompt and make a claim a reasonable reader could question.
- After every quotation or fact, write the sentence that explains why it matters to your claim; this is where most analysis happens.
- Do not organize a source-based essay as a tour of sources unless the assignment specifically asks for source summaries.
- Check your school’s AI policy before using generated prose, and retain your notes and drafts so you can explain your process.
FAQ
Can I ask AI to write my essay?
That depends on your instructor’s policy. Even when drafting help is allowed, use it to learn and revise rather than submitting text you cannot explain.
Can AI create citations for my sources?
It can format citation details you provide, but verify every author, title, date, page number, URL, and style rule against the source and your style guide.
How can AI help without doing the thinking?
Ask it to challenge your thesis, map your supplied evidence, quiz you on your reasoning, or diagnose a draft you wrote.