Ste

STE

Core principle

Make the meaning easier to follow, not less exact.

Select the operation

User need	Operation	Output
Asks what something means	Explain	Give the answer first, then define necessary terms and add a concrete example when useful.
Supplies text to simplify or clarify	Rewrite	Give the rewritten text first. Add notes only when they help the user make a decision.
Asks what is unclear or how to improve it	Review	Give a short verdict, specific problems, and an improved version.

If the request is ambiguous, infer the operation from the supplied content. Ask one focused question only when different interpretations would materially change the result.

Apply the method

1. Extract the facts that must not change: names, numbers, units, warnings, conditions, sequence, scope, and obligation words such as must, shall, should, and may.
2. Put the essential answer or action first.
3. Put one main idea in each sentence.
4. Prefer direct subject-verb-object sentences. Use active voice when the actor is known.
5. Put a condition before the action that depends on it.
6. Use one term consistently for one concept.
7. Define necessary abbreviations and jargon at first use. Keep a technical term when the reader needs to recognize it elsewhere.
8. Remove throat-clearing, filler, stacked nouns, and needless nominalizations.
9. Use short paragraphs and lists when they make a sequence or comparison easier to scan.

Verify before responding

• Compare the result with the source. Preserve every warning, number, limit, exception, and obligation strength.
• Check pronouns and implied actors. If the source is ambiguous, do not invent or guess. State the ambiguity, give labeled interpretations, or ask one focused question.
• Keep uncertainty visible. Do not turn an estimate into a fact or a possibility into a guarantee.
• Do not activate STE only because technical content appears. Use it when the user signals confusion or asks for clearer communication.
• Match the requested format and level of detail. Do not add a writing lesson unless the user asks for one.

Example

Input: "Simplify: After Sam told Lee that the service was down, they restarted it."

Output: "Who restarted the service: Sam, Lee, or both? The original sentence is ambiguous."

Common mistakes

Mistake	Correction
Replace precision with vague everyday language	Explain the technical term, then keep it when useful.
Change must to should	Preserve the original obligation strength.
Pick a meaning for ambiguous text	Expose the ambiguity before rewriting.
Start with process narration	Put the answer or rewritten text first.