In today's fast-paced world of artificial intelligence, understanding 'Prompt Engineering' is key, especially for beginners. Our guide introduces strategies and tactics to effectively use large language models like GPT-4.

We'll explore methods that can be combined to achieve the best results. Don’t worry if this sounds complex – we’ll make it as simple as possible.

Clear Instructions are Crucial: Think of AI models as helpful friends who need clear directions. The clearer your request, the better the response. If you want short answers, just say so. If you're looking for something more detailed, mention that too.

How to Do It: Be specific in your questions. If you need an answer on a particular topic, include that in your query. Also, if you have a preferred format or style for the reply, let the model know. Providing examples can also be a great help.

Using Reference Texts: Sometimes, AI models might make up answers, especially on less common topics. Giving them a reference text (like notes for a student) can guide them to provide more accurate responses.

How to Implement: Tell the model to use the information in the reference text when replying. You can also ask it to include citations from the reference text to back up its answers.

What to Do: Think about dividing a big task into smaller, simpler ones. If you're dealing with a lot of information, summarizing it in parts before tackling the whole can be effective.

Method to Use: Encourage the model to consider a problem carefully before responding. This can lead to more accurate and thoughtful answers.

Integrating External Tools: AI models have limitations, but you can overcome these by combining their outputs with other tools. For instance, using a code execution engine can help with tasks involving maths or specific calculations.

Effective Use: Combine the model's capabilities with other tools like text retrieval systems or code execution engines to enhance its functionality.