Difference between revisions of "Prompt"

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(Created page with "When a player or team captain gives a partially-correct answer to a question which is not specific or exact enough to cover the entire answer that the question is looking ...")
 
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When a player or team [[captain]] gives a partially-correct answer to a question which is not specific or exact enough to cover the entire answer that the question is looking for, the moderator may '''prompt''' the player for a more specific answer, giving the player a few more seconds to specify further.  
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<onlyinclude>A '''prompt''' is a request for additional information given by a [[moderator]] to a [[player]] whose [[answer]] to a [[question]] is partially [[correct]] but ambiguous. In this scenario, the player is said to have been '''prompted''' because the answer they gave was '''promptable''' - alternatively, they may say they were '''prompted''' on their answer. Receiving a prompt allows a player an opportunity to give an additional answer.</onlyinclude>
  
For example, there might be a question with the answer line:<br>
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A player may receive multiple successive prompts. It is possible for a player to intentionally aim to be repeatedly prompted to [[stall]] or to attempt to gain additional information about an answer.
ANSWER: <u>'''polar bear'''</u>s [or <u>'''''Ursus maritimus'''''</u>; prompt on "bears"]
 
  
If a player gave the word "bears" as their answer, the moderator could prompt them by saying some phrase along the lines of "I'll prompt you," "More specific, please," "I need more information," or even just saying the word "Prompt." At that point, the player has a few more seconds to refine their answer to the correct one; adding no new information counts as an incorrect answer.
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The set of answers which warrant a prompt is enumerated in the [[answerline]] alongside the acceptable answers. Under strict readings of the rules, no answers other than those written down should be prompted on; moderators will occasionally use their [[moderator discretion|discretion]] to determine that an answer should be prompted on or accepted, but this is to be avoided.
  
A '''prompt line''' is the part of a question's [[answer line]] which specifies some partial answers that the moderator may prompt on.
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==Examples==
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The most common reason for a prompt is that a player has answered with a superset of the correct answer.
  
Prescriptively, a moderator prompts the ''player'' upon hearing the less-specific answer. Descriptively, quizbowlers often use the word "prompt" as though the answer itself is the thing being prompted (hypothetical example: "The answer line said 'polar bears', so I prompted 'bears'"), though this makes less etymological sense.
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{{qq|ANSWER: the '''<u>second Punic War</u>'''"; prompt on the <u>Punic War</u>s]}}
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{{qq|ANSWER: <u>'''polar bear'''</u>s [or <u>'''''Ursus maritimus'''''</u>; prompt on <u>bears</u>]}}
  
[[Category:Quizbowl basics]]
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Answers which are insufficiently specific to uniquely identify a single person are typically prompted on - for instance, if multiple people in a field share a [[surname]].
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==Philosophy==
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Prompts are a recognition that questions are not typically written precisely enough to allow only a single correct answer (or set of answers). The need for some prompts could be removed by careful editing, but in general it is not possible to remove ambiguity from every clue without making questions [[transparent]] or otherwise impacting their [[playability]].
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{{c|Quizbowl lingo}}
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{{c|Quizbowl concepts}}
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{{c|Quizbowl basics}}

Revision as of 12:07, 20 June 2021

A prompt is a request for additional information given by a moderator to a player whose answer to a question is partially correct but ambiguous. In this scenario, the player is said to have been prompted because the answer they gave was promptable - alternatively, they may say they were prompted on their answer. Receiving a prompt allows a player an opportunity to give an additional answer.

A player may receive multiple successive prompts. It is possible for a player to intentionally aim to be repeatedly prompted to stall or to attempt to gain additional information about an answer.

The set of answers which warrant a prompt is enumerated in the answerline alongside the acceptable answers. Under strict readings of the rules, no answers other than those written down should be prompted on; moderators will occasionally use their discretion to determine that an answer should be prompted on or accepted, but this is to be avoided.

Examples

The most common reason for a prompt is that a player has answered with a superset of the correct answer.

ANSWER: the second Punic War"; prompt on the Punic Wars]
ANSWER: polar bears [or Ursus maritimus; prompt on bears]

Answers which are insufficiently specific to uniquely identify a single person are typically prompted on - for instance, if multiple people in a field share a surname.

Philosophy

Prompts are a recognition that questions are not typically written precisely enough to allow only a single correct answer (or set of answers). The need for some prompts could be removed by careful editing, but in general it is not possible to remove ambiguity from every clue without making questions transparent or otherwise impacting their playability.