RACEsimple
Role · Action · Context · Explanation
A clean four-part prompt framework, well-suited for short structured tasks like summaries and rewrites.
The components
- RRole
The persona for the LLM.
- AAction
The action to take.
- CContext
Relevant situational information.
- EExplanation
The reasoning the response should surface — the "why" behind the answer.
Worked example
Rough prompt
Summarise this research paper for a non-technical audience.
Super-prompt produced by RACE
[Role] You are a science communicator known for explaining complex research to general-interest readers. [Action] Produce a plain-English summary of the paper that follows, in 180–250 words across three short paragraphs. [Context] The audience are intelligent adults with no academic background in the field. They have five minutes to read and want to understand what the paper found, why it matters, and what is still unresolved. [Explanation] Close with one short paragraph explaining why the finding matters — the real-world stakes — and name the single question the next study should test. Define any unavoidable jargon in plain terms as you use it.