Prompt Types
Every prompt is an invitation to find an angle. Some prompts hand you a topic; others give you an object, a quotation, an image or a scenario. This page shows how to read each type quickly and choose a response you can actually deliver.
The six common prompt types
| Type | Example | What it asks |
|---|---|---|
| Object | A key, a shoe, a receipt. | What does this object mean or reveal? |
| Quotation | “A map is not the territory.” | Do you agree, and why? |
| Question | “Should school start later?” | Take a position and defend it. |
| Image | A photo of an empty playground. | What story or idea does it suggest? |
| Word | “Home.” | What does this word mean to you? |
| Scenario | “You are stranded at a train station at midnight.” | What would you do, and why? |
Object prompts
An object prompt invites you to read the object as a symbol, a story or a practical problem. Do not describe it for a minute; use it as a doorway.
| Object | Possible angles |
|---|---|
| A key | Access, trust, memory, belonging, a locked door. |
| A shoe | Journey, class, sport, growth, what we leave behind. |
| A receipt | Proof, habit, waste, a moment in time. |
| A phone | Connection, distraction, memory, dependence. |
| A chair | Welcome, waiting, authority, absence. |
A strong object response often begins with the object in a scene: “This key opens a door I have not seen since I was nine.”
Quotation prompts
A quotation prompt is not an invitation to explain the quotation. It is an invitation to respond to it. You can agree, disagree, qualify or apply it.
| Move | Opening |
|---|---|
| Agree | “This is true, and it matters more than we usually admit.” |
| Disagree | “I think this sounds wise until you try to live by it.” |
| Qualify | “It is true in some cases, but dangerous in others.” |
| Apply | “If we take this seriously, it changes how we treat ... |
If you do not know who said the quotation, do not pretend to. Respond to the idea.
Question prompts
Question prompts usually ask for a position. Choose one side, state it early and give two reasons. If the question is genuinely open, you can explore rather than argue, but still choose a direction.
Prompt: “Should students be allowed to choose their own seats?”
Angle: “Yes, with one condition: the teacher keeps the right to move students when learning is disrupted.”
Structure: Position, reason, example, condition, close.
Image prompts
An image prompt asks you to notice and interpret. Start with one detail, then widen. Avoid listing everything in the image.
| Step | What to say |
|---|---|
| Notice | “The first thing I see is the empty swing.” |
| Interpret | “It suggests a place that is usually full and is now waiting.” |
| Connect | “That is what the end of term feels like ...” |
| Close | “The swing is still moving a little. That is the part I keep thinking about.” |
Word prompts
A single word is the most open prompt and the easiest to ramble on. Choose a specific memory, definition or argument. “Home” could be a place, a feeling, a person, a sound or an absence.
Scenario prompts
A scenario asks what you would do. Use a clear decision, a reason and a consequence. You can also narrate the moment.
| Scenario | Structure |
|---|---|
| Stranded at a station | Decision, reason, practical step, reflection. |
| Given one wish | Wish, reason, unintended consequence, close. |
| Asked to lead a group | First action, why, how you would include others. |
| Find a wallet | Decision, ethical reasoning, practical step. |
The angle test
Before you speak, test your angle with three questions:
- Can I say it in one sentence?
- Can I support it with one specific example?
- Can I finish it in the time?
If the answer to any is no, choose a narrower angle.
Activity: prompt carousel
- Place six prompt cards around the room, one of each type.
- In pairs, choose a card and take ten seconds to find an angle.
- Speak for sixty seconds.
- The partner names the structure they heard.
- Rotate to a new prompt type.
- After six rounds, choose the type that was hardest and explain why.
The prompt is a starting point, not a cage. You do not have to cover everything it suggests. You have to make one clear response to it.
Common errors
- Describing the object or image instead of interpreting it.
- Explaining the quotation rather than responding to it.
- Refusing to take a position on a question prompt.
- Choosing an angle that is too broad.
- Pretending to know a quotation's source.
- Ignoring the time limit while exploring.
Next, study quick structures to organise your angle. The openings and endings page shows how to begin and finish.