Explain like I'm five: hard ideas in simple words
Some explanations bury the idea under jargon before you even know what the question is. This prompt asks your todo.is agent to explain any topic the way you would to a curious five-year-old, with an everyday comparison, then step it up to a teenager's and an adult's version, so you see how the simple picture connects to the real thing.
The prompt
- Explain [TOPIC] like I'm five. Use short sentences, everyday words and one comparison to something a child knows (toys, food, the playground). No jargon in this part. Then give me a second version for a 14-year-old that adds the real terms, and a third for an adult with [CONTEXT] that is accurate enough for [PURPOSE]. Say clearly where the simple comparison stops being true. End with 3 quick questions I can answer to check I understood, and one source link for the adult version. Keep the whole thing under [LENGTH].
What to change
- [TOPIC]: E.g. "how the internet works", "inflation", "black holes", "how vaccines train the immune system".
- [CONTEXT]: E.g. "no science background", "a business degree" or "I am a nurse".
- [PURPOSE]: E.g. "explaining it to my kid", "a job interview", "my exam tomorrow", "just curious".
- [LENGTH]: E.g. "400 words" or "one phone screen per version".
Example result
- Inflation, explained like you're five
- Imagine your town has 10 toy cars for sale, and everyone gets more pocket money. Lots of kids want the same 10 cars. The shop sees so many hands up that it puts the price up. Now your pocket money buys fewer cars than before. That is inflation: prices go up, so the same money buys less.
- The 14-year-old version
- Inflation is when the general level of prices rises over time. If inflation is 3% a year, something that costs $100 today costs about $103 next year. It happens for a few main reasons:
- • Demand-pull: people and businesses want to buy more than the economy can make, so prices rise.
- • Cost-push: making things gets more expensive (energy, materials, wages) and companies pass that on.
- • Expectations: if everyone expects prices to rise, workers ask for raises and shops raise prices early.
- Central banks usually aim for low, steady inflation, often around 2%, and raise interest rates to cool it down.
- The adult version (for a job interview)
- Inflation is the rate of increase in a broad price index, such as the consumer price index, which tracks a basket of goods and services. Moderate, predictable inflation is normal in a growing economy; high or volatile inflation erodes purchasing power and savings and makes planning harder. Central banks use interest rates as their main tool: higher rates make borrowing more expensive, reduce spending and slow price growth, with a delay. Real interest rate = nominal rate minus inflation, which is why savings can lose value even when they earn interest.
- Where the toy-car picture stops being true
- • Inflation is about prices across the whole economy, not one shop or one product.
- • More money is only one cause; supply problems and costs matter too.
- • Prices of some things can fall while overall inflation is still positive.
- Check yourself
- • 1. If inflation is 5% and your pay rises 3%, are you better or worse off?
- • 2. Why would a central bank raise interest rates when inflation is high?
- • 3. What is the difference between demand-pull and cost-push inflation?
How to do it with todo.is
- Pick a topic and say who the adult version is for.
- Send the to-do to your agent on the Today screen, or by WhatsApp or Telegram.
- You get three versions, the limits of the simple comparison, and three check questions.
- Reply with your answers to the questions, or ask "go one level deeper" on any part.
Tips for a better result
- Ask where the comparison breaks. Simple pictures are useful, but knowing their limits is what makes you understand.
- Answer the check questions out loud or in a reply. Explaining it back is the fastest test of understanding.
- Use it before reading a textbook chapter. The simple version gives you a hook to hang the details on.
- Parents: ask for the five-year-old version only, read it together, and let your child ask the next question.
explain like I'm five: FAQ
- What does ELI5 mean? ELI5 stands for "explain like I'm five". It means asking for an explanation in very simple words, without jargon.
- Is a simple explanation still accurate? It is simplified on purpose. That is why this prompt also gives an adult version and says where the comparison stops being true.
- Can I use it for school topics? Yes. It works well for science, history, economics and math ideas. For exams, rely on the adult version and your course materials.
- Can it explain a document I don't understand? Yes. Attach a PDF or paste the text, like a contract clause or a research abstract, and ask for the three-level explanation.
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