Everyday Work Tasks: Emails, Summaries and Meeting Notes

This is where AI starts saving you real time. Below are five tasks almost everyone does every week, with prompts you can copy, fill in and use today.

Replace everything in [square brackets] with your own details.

1. Replying to an email

Paste the email you received, then:

Here is an email I received:
[paste email]

Write a reply that [agrees / politely declines / asks for more time / answers
their question]. Keep it professional and friendly, under 100 words.
My name is [name], I am the [job title].

Want to change the tone of something you already wrote?

Rewrite this so it sounds more polite but still firm: [paste your draft]

2. Summarising a long document or thread

Summarise the text below for a busy manager.
Give: 1) a 2-line summary, 2) the 3 to 5 most important points as bullets,
3) any decisions or deadlines mentioned.

[paste text, or attach the file]

Important: Read the original for anything you will act on, such as amounts, dates or legal terms. Summaries can miss details. Lesson 5 covers this.

3. Turning meeting notes into action items

Your notes from a meeting are usually messy. Paste them as they are:

These are my rough notes from today's meeting:
[paste notes]

Turn them into:
- a short summary (3 lines)
- a table of action items with columns: Task, Owner, Deadline
- open questions we still need to answer
If an owner or deadline is not clear from the notes, write "Not decided".

The last line matters: it stops the AI from inventing owners and dates that nobody agreed on.

4. Messages to customers (WhatsApp, SMS, email)

Write a short WhatsApp message to a customer telling them [their order is
delayed by 2 days because of a supplier issue]. Apologise once, give the new
date [date], and offer [a call / a discount / a replacement]. Friendly tone,
under 60 words, no emojis.

Ask for three versions and pick the one that sounds most like you:

Give me 3 versions: one formal, one friendly, one very short.

5. Translating, and simplifying

Translate this into simple Hindi that a customer with no technical background
will understand. Keep the meaning exact, do not add anything.
[paste text]

Or the other way round:

Rewrite this in clear, simple English for a client. Keep all numbers and dates
exactly the same.
[paste text]

Tip: For anything formal, such as contracts, official letters or legal notices, have a person who knows both languages check the translation.

Working with files and screenshots

Most assistants let you attach a PDF, Word file, image or screenshot. You can then ask questions about it: "What is the due date in this invoice?" or "List the main points of this circular."

Before you upload, ask yourself: is this allowed to leave my company? Lesson 6 covers what you should never share.

Practice task

Pick two of the five tasks above that you do often. Use the prompts on real (non-confidential) work today.

Time yourself: how long did it take with AI, including checking the result, compared with doing it yourself? Note the minutes saved. You will use these numbers in lesson 7.

Key takeaways

• Most everyday writing tasks can start with an AI draft that you then check and edit.
• Paste the original text and say exactly what you want back.
• Tell the AI to write "Not decided" instead of guessing missing facts.
• Always check amounts, dates and names against the original before sending.