Ask it to think step by step. For anything involving reasoning, math, or multi-part problems, adding "think through this step by step" noticeably improves accuracy. It nudges the model to work through the logic instead of jumping to a guess.
Iterate. The first response is a starting point, not a final answer. Follow up: "make the second paragraph punchier," "that's too formal, loosen it up," "give me three more variations." Prompt engineering is a conversation, not a single command.
A Concrete Example
Ask "A shop sells pens at 3 for $2. How much for 10 pens?" and a rushed model might fumble. Add "think step by step" and it lays out the unit price, multiplies, and lands the right answer. The same trick helps with anything that has moving parts — planning, comparisons, logic.
And when a draft is 80% there, you don't restart — you refine. The best result usually comes from the second or third pass, not the first.