Working with what you have.
FOR SHORTENING
"Reduce this to [length]. Keep every substantive point. Remove only padding, repetition and hedging."
Be explicit, or content is removed indiscriminately.
FOR CLARITY
"Make this clearer without changing the meaning. Shorter sentences. Plain words."
FOR A DIFFERENT AUDIENCE
Describe the audience rather than the tone.
"Rewrite for a customer who is not technical and is worried about the cost."
FOR PROOFREADING
"Correct the spelling, grammar and punctuation. Change nothing else. List what you changed."
That last part matters. Without it, the model rewrites your prose while claiming to proofread, and you lose your voice.
WHAT TO ALWAYS DO
Compare against the original. Confirm nothing important disappeared.
THE COMMON FAILURE
Accepting a rewrite that reads better and says less.
WHAT NOT TO ASK
"Improve this." Without direction it changes things arbitrarily.
