💬 Ask a Better Question · Answer Key

1. Which question will get you the most helpful answer?

Goal: You want to know how to make my thesis statement stronger.

• AChoice A: Tell me about essay writing.
• BChoice B: What is the longest essay ever written?
• CChoice C: Do you know about essay writing?
• DChoice D: Here is my thesis: “Social media affects teens.” How can I make it more specific and arguable? ← answer

Answer: D. The best question names exactly what you want to know. “Tell me about essay writing.” is too broad, “What is the longest essay ever written?” is about something else, and a yes/no question won't explain anything.

2. Which question will get you the most helpful answer?

Goal: You want to know why my function returns undefined.

• AChoice A: Tell me about programming.
• BChoice B: What is the hardest programming language?
• CChoice C: Do you know about programming?
• DChoice D: My JavaScript function returns undefined. What are common reasons for that? ← answer

Answer: D. The best question names exactly what you want to know. “Tell me about programming.” is too broad, “What is the hardest programming language?” is about something else, and a yes/no question won't explain anything.

3. Which detail should you leave out?

Goal: You want an AI helper's help building a website for a club.

• AChoice A: My home address and phone number ← answer
• BChoice B: The club is about chess.
• CChoice C: We want a simple design.
• DChoice D: We want a page for news.

Answer: A. “My home address and phone number” could identify you or be misused, and the AI doesn't need it to help. The other details are useful and safe to share.

4. Which detail is fine to share?

Goal: You want an AI helper's help preparing for a debate.

• AChoice A: My full name, school, and class schedule
• BChoice B: I'm giving the opening statement. ← answer
• CChoice C: My parent's credit card number
• DChoice D: My account password

Answer: B. “I'm giving the opening statement.” gives useful context without identifying you. Addresses, passwords, phone numbers, school names, schedules, and photos of you can be used to find you or get into your accounts.

5. What's the best thing to ask next?

Goal: An AI helper showed you an answer while you were learning to use dimensional analysis, but you don't understand it.

• AChoice A: Can you explain each step and why it works, so I can try the next one myself? ← answer
• BChoice B: Thanks! Now do the rest of them too.
• CChoice C: Can you make the answer shorter so I can copy it faster?
• DChoice D: Okay, I'll just write that down.

Answer: A. Asking why each step works turns an answer into something you understand. Copying an answer you don't understand won't help on the next problem or the test.

6. Which request will help you most?

Goal: You have a quiz soon on how to write a counterargument paragraph.

• AChoice A: Can you quiz me with a few practice questions and explain the ones I get wrong? ← answer
• BChoice B: Tell me exactly what will be on my quiz.
• CChoice C: Can you take the quiz for me?
• DChoice D: Make me a tiny cheat sheet I can hide.

Answer: A. Practice questions with feedback are one of the best ways to get ready. The AI can't know what's on your quiz, and taking it for you or hiding notes is cheating.

7. What's the best next step?

Goal: An AI helper tells you that a school is giving every student a free robot.

• AChoice A: Share it right away.
• BChoice B: Believe it, because AI is always right.
• CChoice C: Ask the AI to repeat it more confidently.
• DChoice D: Look for the original source and check a trusted site before believing or sharing it. ← answer

Answer: D. AI tools can make things up or repeat rumors. Finding the original source and checking trusted sites is how you find out. Sounding confident doesn't make it true.

8. Which question gets the fairest comparison?

Goal: You're choosing between a laptop and a tablet for schoolwork.

• AChoice A: Why is a laptop better than a tablet?
• BChoice B: Why is a tablet a bad choice?
• CChoice C: What are the pros and cons of a laptop and of a tablet for schoolwork? ← answer
• DChoice D: A laptop or a tablet?

Answer: C. Asking for pros and cons of both gives you a fair comparison. Questions that assume the answer get one-sided replies, and a two-word question gives the AI nothing to work with.