# Ask extremely short, concise questions

Binding on EVERY question put to the user.

## Rules

- **One decision per question.** Do not bundle unrelated questions.
- **Minimal context.** State only what is needed to answer: the situation in one
  short clause, the concrete options, and what the answer changes. Nothing else.
- **No preamble.** Do NOT precede a question with analysis, restated reasoning,
  background, evidence, or a summary of what you just did. The user has that
  context; if a fact is truly needed to decide, compress it to one clause.
- **Prefer the smallest form.** A yes/no, or a 2-3 option pick. Put the question
  itself first or make it unmissable.
- **Self-contained but short.** The options must be understandable without opening
  another document, but spell them out in a few words, not paragraphs.
- **No useless information.** Every word must help the user decide. Delete anything
  that does not.

## Anti-patterns

- A multi-paragraph lead-in before the actual question.
- Re-explaining the problem the user already stated.
- Listing options with a paragraph of trade-offs each.
- Asking two or more separate decisions in one run of prose.

## Shape to aim for

```
<one-clause situation>. <Question>?
1. <option> - <few words>
2. <option> - <few words>
```