Course plan › Track A · Free › Module 3

Everyday use

Four short lessons with ready-made methods for what you actually do: write, study, plan and make sense of documents.

4 lessons
about 20 minutes
Free
You need module 2

Download workbook (PDF)

After the module you can

Write an email you can send
Summarise and study smarter
Make a realistic plan
Let Claude read files and images

Email and letters

5 min

In short

Give the purpose, recipient and tone. Ask for a draft and adjust it, and you have something to send in minutes.

Explanation

Email is one of the most common everyday tasks. Claude is good at a first draft, but only you know what matters and how you usually sound.

What Claude needs to know
Item	Example
Purpose	I want a refund for a broken product.
Recipient	Customer service; I have never contacted them before.
Tone	Factual and friendly, not angry.
Facts	Bought 3 March, order number 12345, cracked after two weeks.

Write an email to customer service.
Purpose: I want a refund for a product that broke.
Tone: factual and friendly.
Facts: bought 3 March, order number 12345, cracked after two weeks.
Max 120 words, with a subject line.

Read the draft, change what does not sound like you, and ask for one adjustment at a time, for example "make the opening shorter".

Note: you send it, not Claude

Check names, dates, amounts and promises before sending. Do not paste personal ID numbers or other people's details unnecessarily.

Do it now (3 min)

Pick an email you have been putting off. Give Claude purpose, recipient, tone and facts and ask for a draft.

Mark lesson 1 as done

Next lesson

Study and summaries

5 min

In short

Use Claude as a study partner: summarise, explain difficult parts and quiz yourself. Always read the original for what matters.

Explanation

Claude can shorten a long text, explain a concept more simply and ask you questions. The last one is often the most effective for actually learning.

Paste or upload the text you need to read.
Ask for a summary in the format you want, for example five bullet points.
Ask Claude to explain what you did not understand, "as for a beginner".
Ask Claude to quiz you, one question at a time, and correct your answers.

Here is a chapter about [topic]. Summarise it in five bullet points. Then ask me ten questions, one at a time, and wait for my answer before correcting.

Note: summaries can be wrong

A summary can leave out what matters most or misread something. Compare with the original for exams, contracts, numbers, and medical or legal questions.

Do it now (4 min)

Take a text you need to read. Ask for a summary and then a three-question quiz.

Mark lesson 2 as done

Previous Next lesson

Planning

5 min

In short

Give Claude your real times and commitments. Ask it to leave margin, and the plan becomes something you can follow.

Explanation

Plans usually fail because they assume more time and energy than we have. So say how much time you actually have and what is fixed.

I want to prepare a presentation by Friday. I have 45 minutes on Monday, Tuesday and Thursday evenings. Wednesday is taken. Split the work into small steps with a clear milestone per session and leave a buffer. Ask me first if anything is missing.

Ask for small steps you can start right away.
Ask for a buffer for the unexpected.
Ask Claude to question you first if something is missing (module 2).
Say so if the plan feels too tough. Ask for a lighter version.

Good to know

Claude does not know what is in your calendar unless you say so or have connected a service. Only connect services you feel safe with (module 5).

Do it now (4 min)

Plan something coming up this week. Give times, fixed commitments and ask for a buffer.

Mark lesson 3 as done

Previous Next lesson

Files and images

5 min

In short

Claude can read documents and look at images you upload. Ask concretely and check the answer against the original.

Explanation

In the Claude app you can normally attach files and images, such as a PDF, a photo of text or a screenshot. Which file types and sizes work differs between plans and changes, so check your app.

What you can ask for
Material	Question
Receipt or invoice	List date, amount and supplier in a table.
Contract or terms	Summarise what I commit to and list anything unusual.
Screenshot of an error	What does this error mean and what should I try first?
Photo of a notice board	Transcribe the text and list the dates.

Note: do not upload what you may not share

Files can contain personal data, other people's private information or trade secrets. Read modules 1 and 10 before uploading sensitive material. Claude can misread, especially blurry text, so check numbers.

Do it now (4 min)

Take a screenshot or a document with no sensitive details. Upload it and ask one concrete question.

Mark lesson 4 as done

Previous Go to the self-test

Check yourself

Think first, then open the answer.

1. Which three things should you give Claude when you ask for an email?

The purpose, the recipient and the tone. Ideally also length and what should happen after the email.

2. Why should you check a summary against the original before relying on it?

Claude can miss or misread things. You are responsible for the result, so verify important numbers and names.

3. What makes a plan realistic?

You give the time you actually have and fixed commitments, and let Claude leave a margin for the unexpected.

4. What should you think about before uploading a document?

That it contains no one else's personal data or secrets you have no right to share. See modules 1 and 10.

Well done!

You have finished module 3 and with it the whole free track. Next is Track B: Going deeper.

Back to the course plan

Sources (checked 2026-10-13)

The examples are working methods, not quotes from Anthropic. Features and limits differ between plans and change, so check your app. Always verify facts and numbers Claude gives you.