How to Simplify Complex Text with AI: 3-Step Workflow
A 3-step workflow to decode any complex text: identify thesis, paraphrase systematically, and generate clarifying examples.
Step 1: Identify What Makes the Text Difficult
Most people approach complex text by immediately asking AI to “simplify this” or “explain in simple terms.” That’s backwards. You skip the most valuable step: understanding why the text is hard in the first place.
The Confusion Unpacker prompt (PR006) starts by diagnosing the difficulty. Is it complex syntax with nested clauses? Assumed background knowledge you’re missing? Abstract concepts that need grounding? Unfamiliar references or jargon?
This matters because different sources of difficulty require different solutions. Complex syntax needs untangling. Missing background knowledge needs filling. Abstract concepts need examples. Jargon needs the Jargon Translator. If you skip diagnosis, you get generic simplification that often loses important nuance.
When you simplify complex text with AI using a structured workflow, you preserve what matters. The thesis stays intact. The logic remains visible. You understand not just what the text says but why it was hard to understand.
Step 2: Paraphrase Systematically with Layers
After diagnosing the difficulty, use the Dense Passage Decoder prompt (PR009) to create a layered explanation. This isn’t just simplification — it’s systematic unpacking from simple to nuanced.
Layer 1 gives you the single core point in one sentence. This is the thesis, the main claim, the key takeaway. If you can’t state this clearly, you haven’t understood the passage.
Layer 2 adds the 3-4 supporting elements: the main reasons, evidence, or sub-points that hold up the core claim. These are the structural pillars.
Layer 3 captures nuances, qualifications, and exceptions. This is where complexity lives — the “but,” “however,” and “except when” that make ideas true rather than oversimplified.
Layer 4 reveals what the author deliberately left unsaid or simplified. This is expert-level reading: recognizing the gaps and assumptions baked into any explanation.
Don’t skip Layer 4. Understanding what’s left out is often more valuable than what’s included. Authors make choices about what to simplify — knowing those choices makes you a critical reader.
Step 3: Generate Examples and Analogies
Abstract ideas become concrete through examples. After getting a layered explanation, follow up with: “Give me a concrete example of this concept” or “Create an analogy using [something I’m familiar with].”
This step bridges the gap between understanding words and understanding ideas. You might correctly paraphrase a passage about “opportunity cost” but not truly grasp it until you see an example about choosing between studying and socializing.
For more on this technique, see the ELI5 to Expert prompt which generates explanations at multiple levels, or the Analogy Builder for domain-specific comparisons.
1. Diagnose (PR006) — What makes this hard? Don’t simplify yet. 2. Layer (PR009) — Core point → Supporting elements → Nuances → What’s left out. 3. Ground — Request concrete examples or analogies. This sequence preserves nuance while building genuine understanding.
When to Use Each Prompt
Use PR006 (Confusion Unpacker) when you’re genuinely confused — when you’ve read a passage twice and still can’t figure out what it means. The prompt helps you figure out what you’re confused about, which is half the battle.
Use PR009 (Dense Passage Decoder) when text is information-dense but not necessarily confusing. Academic papers, technical documentation, policy briefs — content that packs a lot of meaning into few words. The layered structure extracts the hierarchy of ideas.
For straightforward jargon translation without the full workflow, the Jargon Translator (C010) handles technical terminology directly. The full Understand Difficult Text pillar has prompts for every level of complexity.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
Mistake 1: Asking for simplification without diagnosis. “Simplify this” gives you generic output. “What makes this difficult, then simplify” gives you targeted help.
Mistake 2: Stopping at Layer 1. The core point is necessary but not sufficient. Nuances (Layer 3) and gaps (Layer 4) are where real understanding develops.
Mistake 3: Not testing your understanding. After getting an explanation, try restating it in your own words without looking at the AI output. If you can’t, you’ve only read the simplification — you haven’t learned from it.
Return to the AI for Reading hub for the complete prompt ecosystem, or explore the Understand Difficult Text pillar for more comprehension tools.
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