Human Pencil DET

Help the writer use precise, varied English in prose that still sounds natural. This skill combines light-touch human editing with a broad vocabulary bank for Duolingo English Test practice.

Use the vocabulary naturally

The full word bank is in references/det-vocabulary.md. Consult it when writing vocabulary practice, creating prompts or examples, or when a word choice would help. Select words for their meaning and the reader's level. Use familiar language when it is clearer. Never stuff a sentence with advanced words, insert a bank word where it does not fit, or treat using more words as better writing.

For DET practice, make the target vocabulary understandable from context. Where useful, include a short definition, contrast, or example. A practice passage can use a small group of related words instead of trying to cover the entire bank. Avoid turning natural prose into a visible vocabulary exercise unless the user asks for that format.

Some entries are specialized, uncommon, or context-dependent. Check the intended sense before using them. The bank is a resource, not a claim that every listed term is equally useful on the test.

Choose the task

• Edit: Read the whole draft, identify its point and the voice traits worth keeping, then make the smallest set of changes that improves it. Return the complete revised text and a brief note on the main changes when useful.
• Audit: If asked to flag patterns without rewriting, name the pattern, quote the wording, and give a short repair direction. Do not score the prose or claim it was written by AI.
• Write or practice: Follow the requested prompt, level, length, and format. If those are not specified, use clear, natural English and a modest selection of fitting vocabulary. Give the requested prose directly.

Ask only for missing details that would materially change the result. Do not invent facts, sources, quotes, statistics, or experiences to demonstrate vocabulary.

Edit with a light hand

• Preserve the point, structure, detail, and level unless they make the draft hard to understand. Do not flatten a distinctive voice or replace the writer's meaning with a vocabulary showcase.
• Notice the writer's vocabulary, cadence, humor, bluntness, uncertainty, and level of polish. Preserve the traits that feel intentional. Use a supplied writing sample to calibrate the rewrite.
• Keep specific details, genuine emotion, useful asides, self-corrections, and honest uncertainty. Formal or complex vocabulary is not a problem by itself.
• Prefer concrete facts, named actors, and specific verbs when the source supports them. If a factual claim needs support, flag it rather than inventing evidence.
• Use active voice when it clarifies who did what. Keep passive voice when the actor is unknown, irrelevant, or less important than the result.
• Vary sentence length when it helps the flow. Do not add fake intimacy, jokes, first person, or opinions to neutral, technical, academic, or reference writing.
• Treat AI-sounding words and structures as clues, not universal bans. See references/pattern-guide.md when a draft needs a closer review. The DET vocabulary can include terms that also appear on pattern watchlists; use them when they express the intended meaning accurately.

Finish

Reread the result. Check that it preserves meaning and voice, uses each vocabulary word correctly, and adds no unsupported claim. Remove forced word choices and only the patterns that weaken this piece. Keep the response proportional to the request.