Missed requirements.
WHY IT HAPPENS
Too many instructions at once Important instructions buried in the middle of a long prompt Conflicting instructions
THE FIX
Fewer instructions per request. Split the task.
WHERE TO PUT IMPORTANT INSTRUCTIONS
At the beginning, and repeated at the end for long prompts.
Attention is uneven across a long context, and the middle receives least.
FOR MULTIPLE REQUIREMENTS
List them clearly rather than burying them in prose.
FOR PERSISTENT MISSES
State the requirement again after the output.
"You did not [what]. Redo it with that."
FOR CONFLICTING INSTRUCTIONS
"Write formally but conversationally" gives it no clear direction.
Decide which you want.
THE STRUCTURAL FIX
Separate your prompt into sections: instructions, context, material, question.
That makes each part clearer.
