Five short lessons · ChatGPT · Complete beginners
Watch, then try it yourself
Learn one useful step at a time: get started, ask, improve and check. These lessons are designed for complete beginners, including adults over 50. Pause, replay and practise at your own pace.
Make the lesson useful
- Watch or read one lesson.
- Open its practice activity and try the steps yourself.
- Check what you managed before continuing. Watching alone does not complete the activity.
Keep this page open while you practise. The examples use fictional details, so you do not need to share private information. Heart is an AI-generated narrator.
YouTube players load only when you choose “Load video player”, which connects to YouTube. You can always read the transcript instead.
Lesson 1 of 5 · 3:42
Get Ready for Your First Conversation
Find the official website, understand sign-in choices and prepare a safe first practice session.
Now try it
Find the official website and message box, then return to the lesson. Keep all sign-in details private.
Open the picture guide (new tab)
Keep control of the mouse or phone yourself. Use a hint or ask for help whenever you need it.
Read lesson 1 transcript
A small first step
You do not need to understand all of artificial intelligence to try one useful conversation. In these five lessons, we will write a message, improve it and check it. Today, we will get you to the right place to start. You can pause or replay any part.
Your learning setup
Have this video or the free Spinnit practice lesson open, then use another browser tab for Chat GPT. A tab is another page inside the same browser. On a computer, you usually select tabs along the top. On a phone, use your browser's tab switcher. If that feels unfamiliar, practise moving between the two pages before doing anything else.
The official website
Use the official website shown on screen, or the link in the description. For these lessons, you can use a browser; installing an app is not part of the task. Our sign-up pictures were captured in September twenty twenty-six. Buttons and layouts can change, so use the written directions alongside what you can see on your own screen.
Find the entry button
In our computer picture, Sign up for free is in the upper-right corner. In the narrow browser picture, the button says Log in, and opens a combined Log in or sign up window. If you already have an account, use Log in and your usual method. You do not need to create a second account just for this course.
Choose one sign-in method
The sign-in window we checked offered Google, Apple, phone and email. Choose one available method that you can access again. Follow the instructions for that method on the official screen. If you use email, make sure you can open that inbox. Our pictures stop before the private account checks; they do not show every later registration step.
Keep private details private
If a sign-in step asks for a password or verification code, enter it privately on that sign-in screen. Do not put it into an AI conversation or send it to someone helping you. Our practice uses made-up event details. A bank statement or private document will not make this exercise better. You can learn the controls without sharing those things.
Find the message box
When you reach Chat GPT, look for the message box. If you are offered a choice between Chat and Work, choose Chat for these conversation exercises. This course does not require a paid subscription. If you reach a payment screen, go back and look for the free route. The useful milestone today is simply finding where to type a message.
When a limit interrupts
If a usage-limit notice appears, read what it says is limited. If it gives a reset time, note it and return then. If a free way to continue is offered, you can use it. Otherwise, take a break. We do not promise a fixed allowance. A connection error or sign-in problem is different; read the actual message before deciding what to do.
Pause and find your way
Pause the video now. Open the official website, complete any sign-in steps privately, and find the message box. Then return to this lesson. Ask someone to guide you if needed, but keep control of the mouse or screen yourself. There is no timer. The companion picture guide is linked below if you would like larger pictures and written directions.
Ready for lesson two
Before moving on, check three things: you know which website you opened, you can find the message box, and you can return to the lesson. If one is still awkward, repeat that part. That is useful practice. In lesson two, we will send a short request using fictional details and read the reply together.
Lesson 2 of 5 · 3:40
Send Your First Useful Request
Write a fictional coffee-morning invitation, send the request and read the reply without expecting an identical answer.
Now try it
Send the fictional coffee-morning request. Read the reply and compare it with the supplied facts.
Open this practice activity (new tab)
Keep control of the mouse or phone yourself. Use a hint or ask for help whenever you need it.
Read lesson 2 transcript
From blank box to first draft
A blank message box can feel harder than it looks. Let us give it one small job: write a friendly invitation. You will supply the details, send the request and read the reply. You do not need special commands, perfect spelling or a long explanation to begin practising.
What a prompt means
You may hear the word prompt. Here, it simply means the request you type. Think of explaining a small job to someone: what would you like them to write, what facts should they use, and how should it sound? Those three questions are a useful starting point. They are a flexible guide, not a formula that guarantees a correct answer.
Our fictional details
Our fictional event is a coffee morning on Tuesday, from two p.m. to four p.m. We want people to reply if they can come. We have not supplied a location. Keep those facts in view, because you will compare the answer with them. Nothing in this exercise needs a real person's address, telephone number or other private information.
The request, first part
Start with: Help me write a friendly invitation using these made-up details: a coffee morning on Tuesday, from two p.m. to four p.m. That tells the assistant what to produce and which event details to use. You can type the words yourself, or copy the full request from the Spinnit lesson linked in the description.
The request, second part
Finish with: Ask people to reply if they can come. Keep it short. Do not add a location. Read the whole request before sending it. The last sentence makes your instruction clearer, but the answer still needs checking. If you accidentally type the wrong time, correct the request before sending, or explain the correction in a follow-up afterwards.
Send and wait
Select the message box, type or paste your request, and use the send control beside it. Its appearance may differ from our picture. Give the service time to respond, then read the reply. If you see a sign-in prompt or a limit notice, follow the guidance in lesson one. You do not need to keep sending the same request while waiting.
Read an example
Here is an illustrative reply: Would you like to join a coffee morning on Tuesday, from two p.m. to four p.m.? Please reply if you can come. It would be lovely to see you. This is a teaching example, not a promise of the exact answer you will receive. Different wording is fine if the message does the job and keeps the facts.
A first useful check
Compare your answer with the facts card. Does it say Tuesday? Does it keep two p.m. to four p.m.? Does it ask people to reply? Has it added a location? We will practise a fuller check in lesson four. For now, notice that reading the answer is part of the task. A polished paragraph is still a draft for you to judge.
Your turn
Pause here and try the request in your own browser. Read the actual reply, then return to this video or the Spinnit lesson while keeping the conversation open. On the practice page, tick only the actions you have done. If you needed a hint, that is useful information about what to repeat. You can take as long as you need.
Keep this conversation
You have practised the basic loop: say what you want, supply a few useful details, send, and read. Keep this coffee-morning conversation available for lesson three. If the draft sounds too formal or too long, you do not need to accept it. Next, you will ask for one specific change in the same conversation.
Lesson 3 of 5 · 3:48
Improve a Reply with a Follow-Up
Ask for a specific change in the same conversation, compare drafts and preserve the supplied facts.
Now try it
Ask for one useful change in the same conversation. Check that the day, time and request to reply stay correct.
Open this practice activity (new tab)
Keep control of the mouse or phone yourself. Use a hint or ask for help whenever you need it.
Read lesson 3 transcript
You can change the draft
If a reply sounds nothing like you, that is a place to continue the conversation. You can ask for a warmer tone, shorter wording or simpler language. In this lesson, we will improve the coffee-morning invitation while keeping the event details unchanged. You stay in charge of the final wording.
Return to the same conversation
Return to the conversation you used in lesson two. Look for the message box below the reply. For this revision, stay in that same conversation so the draft is available as context. Starting a new chat is useful for a different task, but a message such as change that may be unclear when the draft is no longer there.
A draft that feels too formal
Imagine the draft says: You are cordially invited to attend our forthcoming coffee gathering. We would be most grateful if you could confirm your availability. There is nothing about that wording you have to keep. If you would normally send a friendly text, the problem is the tone. If your draft is already friendly, choose a different change, such as making it shorter.
Make better specific
Compare these two follow-ups. Make it better leaves the assistant to guess what better means. Make it warmer and less formal names the change you want. You can also ask for two short sentences, a simple list or more familiar words. Choose a change that helps your actual purpose, rather than adding lots of instructions you do not need.
Protect the facts
Here is a fuller follow-up: Make it warmer and less formal. Use two short sentences. Keep Tuesday, two p.m. to four p.m., and the request to reply. Do not add a location. Those reminders tell the assistant what should stay the same. They do not remove your checking job. After any rewrite, compare the details again.
Compare the revised wording
Send your follow-up, then read the new draft alongside the first. Does it sound warmer? Is it actually shorter if that is what you asked for? Our sample wording is only an illustration; your answer may differ. You are looking for a useful change, not a match with every word on this screen. Keep the version that serves your purpose.
If it misses the request
Sometimes the revision will miss part of your request. You can say: That is still too formal. Use everyday words. Or: Keep the ending from the first version. If the assistant changes the time, restate the correct time. You can also edit the text yourself. A conversation is allowed to take more than one attempt; repeated praise is not a sign that the draft is right.
Choose your own follow-up
Pause the video and choose one change for your own invitation. Try writing the follow-up in your own words before using the example. Send it in the same conversation, read the new reply, and compare it with the earlier one. Then check the day, time and request to reply. Ask for another correction if something changed that should not have.
Explain your choice
Before continuing, explain your choice to yourself or the person learning with you. You might say: I asked for shorter sentences, because I want to send this as a text. I checked that the time stayed the same. That explanation matters more than simply pressing the next button. It shows that you can connect an instruction with a purpose and judge the result.
Ready to check the draft
Your follow-up toolkit is small and useful: keep related revisions together, name the change, and check the new version. If you need more practice, ask for a different tone and compare again. In lesson four, we will look closely at a reply that sounds convincing but adds something you never supplied. Good wording alone does not make an answer dependable.
Lesson 4 of 5 · 3:56
Check an Answer Before You Use It
Find an invented location, correct the draft, and check copied text before using it.
Now try it
Find any unsupported details, correct them, and check the text after copying it into a blank note.
Open this practice activity (new tab)
Keep control of the mouse or phone yourself. Use a hint or ask for help whenever you need it.
Read lesson 4 transcript
A convincing mistake
A reply can sound friendly and confident while containing a wrong detail. Today, you will practise spotting one, asking for a correction, and checking the text you copy. We will use a deliberately flawed example, then return to your own invitation. You do not need to send the practice message to anyone.
Start with the source facts
First, bring back the facts we supplied: a coffee morning on Tuesday, from two p.m. to four p.m., with a request for people to reply. We did not provide a location. That small list is our reference. Checking is easier when you compare with the source details, instead of relying on whether a sentence sounds plausible or familiar.
Spot the added detail
Now read this teaching example: Join us at Oak Hall on Tuesday, from two p.m. to four p.m., for a coffee morning. Please reply if you can come. Pause for a moment and compare it with the facts card. Which detail has appeared without our permission? Look at the place, the day and the time separately before hearing the answer.
Reveal the problem
The problem is Oak Hall. We invented that place name for this example to show how an unsupported detail can slip into a smooth sentence. Tuesday and the time were supplied, so those are not the issue. Remove the location, or replace it only with one you have confirmed yourself. Do not assume that a plausible place name must be correct.
Correct the draft
A useful correction is: Remove the location. I have not supplied one. Keep the rest of the event details unchanged. Send that in the same conversation, then check the revised answer again. You may also remove the words yourself. The important part is that the unsupported information is gone and the remaining facts still match the task.
Check beyond the obvious
Do the same check for other additions. Has the reply introduced a calendar date, a price, a booking instruction or a promise that refreshments will be free? None of those were supplied for our fictional task. An instruction not to invent things can help communicate your wishes, but it cannot guarantee accuracy. Asking the assistant whether it is sure is not an independent check.
Real-world facts need a source
For a real message, check facts against the appropriate original or official source yourself. That could be the event organiser's confirmed details, for example. A link or confident explanation is not enough if you have not checked what it supports. If you cannot confirm an important detail, leave it out or make the uncertainty clear. This practice exercise uses only the facts on our card.
Copy, paste and read
Once the draft is suitable, select and copy the final text, or use a copy control if one is available. Paste it into a blank note. Read the pasted version to check that you copied the text you intended, without extra commentary or a missing sentence. This invitation is fictional, so there is no need to send it to a real group.
Your own checking task
Pause now and check your actual coffee-morning reply. Compare each event detail, look for unsupported additions, and make any corrections you need. Copy the final message into a note and read it again. If your answer added nothing, that is fine; the check still matters. On Spinnit, tick the actions only after you have done them.
You are the editor
You have now practised asking, improving and checking. The assistant supplies a draft, and you decide whether it is suitable. Keep that habit even when a reply looks polished. In the final lesson, you will start a fresh conversation and write your own request from a small set of facts. You can use a hint if you need one.
Lesson 5 of 5 · 3:45
Try a Complete Conversation Yourself
Use a new fictional task to practise asking, improving, checking and copying with less help.
Now try it
Start a fresh conversation for the fictional book-group task. Write, improve and check it using fewer hints.
Open this practice activity (new tab)
Keep control of the mouse or phone yourself. Use a hint or ask for help whenever you need it.
Read lesson 5 transcript
A fresh task
The useful test is not whether you remember our invitation word for word. It is whether you can use the same steps on a new task. In this final lesson, you will write a reminder for a fictional book group. Try as much as you can independently, then use a hint if you need one.
The book-group facts
Here are the facts. The book group meets on Friday, from eleven a.m. to noon. People should bring a book they enjoyed. No location has been decided. Your job is to ask for a friendly reminder using those details. Keep the facts card visible or write it down, so you can check the result without relying on memory.
Start a new conversation
In Chat GPT, look for New chat. The position may differ on your device. We are starting afresh because this is a different task from the coffee morning. Once the new conversation is open, find the message box. Do not simply type change that: give the new task and the book-group details so the assistant knows what you mean.
Write your own request
Pause before seeing a hint. Write a request in your own words, using the facts card. Think about the job, the details and the style you want. Send it, and read the reply. Your wording does not have to match ours. When you return, notice which part you managed yourself and which part made you want some help.
A hint if needed
If you need a hint, tell the assistant to write a reminder, include Friday and eleven a.m. to noon, and ask people to bring a book they enjoyed. Say that the location is undecided. Ask for a friendly tone. Try building the request yourself from those pieces. Using a hint is useful practice; it simply tells you where to focus next time.
Ask for one improvement
Choose one useful change to the reply. Perhaps you want it shorter, warmer or easier to read. Ask for that change in the same book-group conversation. Compare the new draft with the first one. Check that the assistant changed what you wanted without losing the day, the time or the request to bring a book. You can ask again if needed.
Check and copy
Now check every detail against the facts card. Pay particular attention to the location: a named venue would be unsupported because we have not decided one. Remove anything that was added without a basis. Copy the final reminder into a blank note, then read the pasted text. This is a fictional exercise, so you do not need to send it to anyone.
Judge what you managed
Pause and reflect honestly. Did you start the chat, write the request, ask for a change, check the facts and copy the result on your own, with help, or not yet? Those are useful observations, not grades. Feeling more comfortable is encouraging, but compare that feeling with the actions you actually managed. Repeat the step that still feels uncertain.
Try again another day
On another day, try a short thank-you note to a fictional neighbour who watered your plants. Write your own request, ask for a change, and check that no gifts or promises were added. See whether you need less help than before. If you do, that is a useful sign of growing independence. If you do not, return to the part that was difficult.
Keep learning at your pace
You now have a practice routine to return to: ask clearly, improve deliberately, and check before using. These lessons cover basic text conversations; there is more to explore when you are ready. The free Spinnit course has written steps, audio and repeatable exercises. Keep practising at your own pace, and choose small tasks whose results you can judge for yourself.