ChatGPT prompts by CEFR level (copy them)
Pick the group for your student's level, copy a prompt and change the words in brackets. They work for English or any other language you teach.
Write the prompt in whatever language you like and say which language you want the material in. If the first answer misses, reply with what to change instead of starting again.
A1-A2: beginners
Short texts, everyday words, simple tenses. Ask for an answer key every time.
- Write a 100-word text in [language] for an A2 adult learner about [topic]. Use only simple tenses (present and one past tense), short sentences and everyday words. Then write 5 true/false questions with the answers.
- Make a list of 12 [language] words about [topic] for an A1 learner, with a simple example sentence for each one. Put them in a table: word, example, translation into [student's language].
- Write 10 gap-fill sentences in [language] to practice [grammar point] at A2 level. Give 3 options for each gap and the answer key at the end.
- Write a short role-play in [language] for A2: [situation, for example ordering at a café]. Give me my part as the teacher and 6 useful phrases the student can read during the activity.
- Write 8 easy questions in [language] about [topic] for an A1-A2 learner, going from yes/no questions to questions that need a full sentence.
- My A2 student wrote this text: [paste the text, no name]. List the mistakes in a table (mistake, correction, short rule in [student's language]). Don't rewrite the whole text.
B1-B2: intermediate
Longer texts, collocations and opinion questions, closer to what the student reads and says at work or on holiday.
- Write a 250-word article in [language] at B1 level about [topic] for an adult who works in [field]. Then write 5 comprehension questions and 6 words from the text worth learning, with definitions in [language].
- Give me 10 collocations in [language] with [word or topic] for a B2 learner, each with an example sentence and the same sentence with a gap to fill.
- Explain the difference between [grammar point A] and [grammar point B] for a B1 learner in 5 short points. Then write 8 sentences where the student picks the right form, and add the answer key.
- Write 10 discussion questions in [language] for a B2 learner about [topic], from personal questions to opinion questions. Add a follow-up question for each one.
- Create a role-play for B1-B2: [situation, for example a job interview or a complaint at a hotel]. Write role cards for the student and for me, and 8 phrases the student should try to use.
- Here is an essay by a B2 student: [paste the text, no name]. Give feedback in 3 parts: 2 things that work, the 5 most important mistakes with corrections, and one thing to focus on next time. Use simple [language].
C1-C2: advanced
Register, idioms and precise wording: the details an advanced student still gets wrong.
- Write a 400-word opinion piece in [language] at C1 level about [topic], with expressions and linking words a C1 learner should know. Then list them with a short explanation of each.
- Give me 10 idioms or fixed expressions in [language] about [topic] for a C1 learner, with the meaning, a natural example and the register (formal, neutral or informal).
- Rewrite this paragraph in three registers (formal email, neutral, message to a friend): [paste the text]. Point out what changes in each version.
- Prepare a debate in [language] for a C1 learner on "[motion]": 4 arguments for, 4 against, and 6 expressions to agree, disagree and interrupt politely.
- Write a C1 listening script in [language]: a 2-minute conversation between two colleagues about [topic], with natural fillers and one disagreement. Add 6 questions about attitude and implied meaning.
- Here is a text by a C1 student: [paste the text, no name]. Don't only correct grammar: point out 5 places where a more natural or precise word or structure would fit better, and explain why in one line each.
Planning and admin (any level)
Lesson plans, homework and messages to students or parents. Paste your notes without names.
- Plan a 60-minute one-to-one [language] lesson for a [level] adult whose goal is [goal]. Use this structure: warm-up, input, controlled practice, free practice and wrap-up, with the minutes for each part and what I need to prepare.
- Turn these lesson notes into 3 homework tasks of 10 minutes each for a [level] student: [paste the notes, no name].
- Write two lines of feedback on [skill] for the progress report of a [level] student, based on these notes: [notes, no name]. Be specific and avoid generic praise.
- Write a short, friendly message of under 80 words to the parents of a [age]-year-old student, explaining what we worked on this month: [notes, no name].
- Create a 12-week plan for a [level] student preparing for [exam], with 2 lessons a week. Give one goal per week and the skill to focus on.
- Give me 5 warm-up activities of 5 minutes for a one-to-one online [language] lesson at [level] that need no materials.
What to check before you use the result
Read every result before a student sees it. The table shows what to ask for in each task and the usual mistakes to look for.
| Task | What to ask for | Check before using |
|---|---|---|
| Reading text | A text of [X] words at [level] about [topic], with questions and an answer key | Words above the level, made-up facts, names or dates, and whether the questions match the text |
| Vocabulary list | 10-12 words about [topic] with an example sentence each | That each example uses the word in its usual meaning, and the translations |
| Grammar exercise | Gap-fill sentences on [grammar point] with options and an answer key | The answer key: look for gaps with two right options or a wrong answer marked as right |
| Conversation questions | 10 questions about [topic], from easy to opinion | Topics your student might find personal or upsetting (money, health, family) |
| Role-play | Role cards and useful phrases for [situation] | That the phrases sound natural in the variety you teach (for example British or American English) |
| Correcting writing | Mistakes in a table with the correction and a short rule | Every correction (it sometimes marks correct sentences as mistakes) and that the text has no name or personal data |
| Lesson plan | A 60-minute plan with the minutes for each stage and what to prepare | That the timing fits a real lesson and the plan follows the student's goal |
| Report comments | Two specific lines per skill, from your own notes | That no line could describe any other student. Rewrite generic praise |
We review this list every six months, because AI chats change fast. Last reviewed: 30th of October 2026.
How to write your own prompt
Say who you are, what you want, who it's for and what the result should look like, then ask for changes. Five steps, one or two sentences each.
- 1
Who you are
"I'm an English teacher preparing a one-to-one online lesson." It sets the tone and the kind of material.
- 2
What you want
One clear task per prompt: a text, an exercise or a role-play, not all three at once.
- 3
Who it's for
CEFR level, age range, goal and interests: "B1, in their thirties, works in sales, loves football". No names.
- 4
What it looks like
Word count, table or list, number of questions, answer key at the end.
- 5
Ask for changes
Reply "make it shorter", "use easier words" or "add 3 more questions". It's quicker than writing a new prompt.
OpenAI's own prompt engineering guide recommends the same: give the model an identity, clear instructions, examples and context.
How to keep the material at the right CEFR level
Name the level and describe the student. If the text still comes out too hard, give ChatGPT the level description and a word limit.
- Write the level as A2, B1 or C1 instead of "easy" or "advanced", which mean different things to different people.
- Set a word count. A short text is easier to keep at the level.
- Ask it to list any word above the level at the end, so you can swap it or teach it first.
- Read it aloud. If you'd stop to explain a word, your student will stop too.
When the result is still off, paste the description of the level from the CEFR self-assessment grid into the prompt. Not sure of the level? Start with our free English placement test.
What never to paste into ChatGPT
Describe the student instead of naming them. Level, age range and goal are enough for good material.
- Full names, emails, phone numbers or addresses.
- Health, learning difficulties or family situations.
- A student's text with their name, school or company in it. Delete those first.
- Marks or reports that show who they belong to.
With children, you use the chat, not them. UNESCO's guidance on generative AI in education asks for an age limit on students using these tools on their own. Before you suggest a chatbot to a family, check its age rules.
Your students' details are personal data. Our guide to tutoring contracts and GDPR covers the privacy notice and consent for minors.
Where ChatGPT helps and where it doesn't
ChatGPT is good at first drafts: texts, exercises, question lists. It knows nothing about your student, and it gets grammar wrong more often than you'd think.
Use it to skip the blank page, then spend a few minutes making the result yours: your student's interests, last week's mistakes, the joke only they will get. AI also tends to agree with you, so don't use it to decide a student's level. We wrote more about what AI misses in class in this post on metaphors.
Spend your prep time on the student, not the admin
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