AI fundamentals · Practical guide · Free PDF templates
A polished AI answer can still contain a wrong date, a bad calculation, or a detail nobody supplied. Use a simple evidence-first workflow to find those mistakes before you rely on the answer.
This companion guide follows our four-minute tutorial. Work through the fictional workshop example, then use the downloadable templates on your next AI response.
Get the free PDF templates
Keep the prompts beside your AI tool and use the worksheet to record your own checks. No account or email address required.
Download prompt templates (PDF) Download fillable worksheet (PDF)Start with a source you can inspect
For this exercise, the source is a short workshop brief:
The workshop is on June 18 at 10:00 AM. There are 12 seats at $25 each. Materials are included. Lunch is not mentioned.
Now compare this deliberately flawed answer:
“The workshop is on June 19. The 12 seats cost $250 in total. Lunch is included.”
These examples were constructed for teaching; they are not results from a live product test. The goal is to connect each important claim to evidence, rather than decide whether an answer sounds convincing.
1. Define the evidence boundary
Tell the AI which material it may use and what to do when information is missing. Paste your notes after the instruction below:
Use only the source notes below. If a detail is missing, say "not specified". Separate direct facts from calculations and assumptions. Do not add unsupported details. BEGIN SOURCE [Paste your source notes.] END SOURCE
This instruction can help structure the response, but it does not guarantee correctness. Asking “Are you sure?” produces another model response, not independent evidence. Return to the source for the actual check.
2. Inspect the answer, claim by claim
Turn the prose into a small checklist. This makes a changed date or unsupported promise easier to see:
Compare the proposed answer with the source notes. List each factual claim in a table. Quote the exact supporting or contradicting words. Mark each claim supported, contradicted or not specified. Put calculations in separate rows and show the arithmetic. Do not invent quotations or missing details. SOURCE: [Paste the notes.] ANSWER: [Paste the answer to check.]
Read the evidence yourself. A plausible-looking quotation is useful only when it matches the actual source.
| Claim | Evidence or check | Verdict |
|---|---|---|
| June 19 | The brief says June 18. | Contradicted |
| 12 seats | The brief specifies 12 seats. | Supported |
| $250 total for seats | 12 × $25 = $300. | Incorrect calculation |
| Lunch included | No mention of lunch. | Not specified |
Missing information does not prove the opposite. “Lunch is not specified” does not mean “Lunch is unavailable.” Keep the uncertainty visible and ask the organiser.
3. Check the numbers outside the model
Use a calculator or spreadsheet: 12 seats × $25 per seat = $300. The flawed $250 answer is $50 too low.
Also check the units and scope. Is the amount per person, per month, or for the whole group? Here, $300 covers the twelve seats. It does not establish every possible event expense. Write the inputs, operation, units, and result in the worksheet so someone else can follow your check.
4. Open the original source
For a claim from the web, open the original page and find the exact passage supporting the statement. Check its publication or update date and whether it applies to your situation. A link can work while pointing to a page that does not support the claim.
If you cannot inspect the evidence, mark the claim unverified. Find another reliable source or leave the claim out. Do not treat an inaccessible citation as proof.
5. Rewrite using the checked facts
The corrected version is specific without pretending to know more than the source establishes:
The workshop is on June 18 at 10:00 AM. Twelve seats at $25 each cost $300. Materials are included. Lunch is not specified; confirm it with the organiser.
Save the source and your checks alongside the final answer, especially when someone else will rely on it. The third prompt in the PDF pack helps turn your verified facts and unresolved questions into a corrected response.
Try the three-claim challenge
- Choose three important claims from an AI answer you already need to use.
- Record each claim and its exact evidence in the worksheet.
- Recalculate any numbers and note the units and scope.
- Mark each item supported, contradicted, not specified, or unverified.
- Rewrite the answer using checked facts and keep unresolved details visible.
For decisions with serious consequences, involve a qualified person as well. The repeatable method is: define the source, inspect the claims, check the numbers, and rewrite carefully.
Download the two free PDF templates to use the workflow again.
Keep learning
Need a clearer starting prompt? Read Write Better AI Prompts: A Beginner’s Guide & Template.