ai-writing-tells

name	ai-writing-tells
description	Scan prose for AI writing tells, report numbered findings by category with line references, wait for user approval before editing, and rescan after approved fixes.

AI Writing Tells

Use this skill when the user asks to scan prose for AI writing tells, chatbot-style wording, generic polish, or minimal "deslop" editing in docs, prompts, comments, commit text, or other human-facing writing.

Scope

• Audit the specified file, selected text, or the file the user is actively editing.
• Prefer exact line references and short quoted phrases.
• Do not edit until the user explicitly confirms which items to address.

Workflow

1. Determine the target text.
   • If the user named a file or pasted text, use that.
   • If the user refers to "this file" or "current file", infer the active file only when it is clear from context.
   • If the target is ambiguous, ask one concise question before scanning.
2. Read only the target text.
3. Scan in this order: Vocabulary, Patterns, Formatting.
4. Use judgment. Flag only wording that feels generic, padded, promotional, or mechanically polished in context.
5. Present findings in the required output format below.
6. Ask: Which items should I fix? (all / specific numbers / none)
7. If the user approves fixes, edit only the approved items.
8. Re-scan after edits and report the updated findings and score.
9. If the updated score is below 8, ask: Another round? (yes / no)
10. Stop when the user says stop or the score reaches 8 or 9. Do not chase a 10 unless the user explicitly wants a voice rewrite.

What To Scan For

Vocabulary

Flag any of these when they read like filler rather than precise wording:

• additionally (especially at sentence start)
• align with
• boasts (meaning "has")
• bolstered
• crucial
• comprehensive
• cutting-edge
• delve
• emphasizing
• enduring
• enhance
• encompassing
• features (meaning "has")
• foster / fostering
• garner
• groundbreaking
• highlight (as a verb)
• innovative
• interplay
• intricate / intricacies
• key (as an adjective)
• landscape (abstract noun)
• maintains (meaning "has")
• meticulous / meticulously
• nuanced
• offers (meaning "has" or "gives")
• pivotal
• profound
• renowned
• robust
• seamless / seamlessly
• showcase / showcasing
• tapestry (abstract noun)
• testament
• transformative
• underscore (as a verb)
• valuable
• vibrant
• vital

Note: AI vocabulary shifts over time. Delve peaked earlier; later drafts leaned harder on words like enhance, highlighting, and showcasing. Flag words that feel like filler in context, not words used precisely.

Patterns

• Significance puffery: stands as, serves as, is a testament to, plays a vital role, underscores its importance, reflects broader, setting the stage for, marking the, shaping the, evolving landscape, indelible mark, deeply rooted
• Superficial -ing analysis: sentences that end in dangling present participles adding vague commentary, such as highlighting its importance, ensuring quality, reflecting the broader trend, contributing to the field, fostering innovation
• Negative parallelisms: not just X, but also Y, not only ... but ..., it's not ... it's ...
• Rule of three: formulaic three-item lists where two would do
• Copula avoidance: serves as instead of is, boasts instead of has, represents instead of is, stands as instead of is, features instead of has, maintains instead of has, offers instead of gives
• Em dash overuse: too many em dashes where commas, parentheses, or periods would read more naturally
• Elegant variation: cycling through fancy synonyms just to avoid repeating a direct word
• Promotional tone: nestled in, in the heart of, diverse array, rich heritage, natural beauty, commitment to
• Vague attribution: experts argue, observers note, industry reports suggest, observers cite
• Despite-challenges formula: Despite ... faces challenges ... followed by an optimistic recovery
• Didactic disclaimers: it's important to note, worth noting, it's crucial to remember
• Formulaic headings: Challenges and Future Prospects, Legacy and Impact, Significance and Influence

Formatting

• Curly quotes or apostrophes in contexts that expect straight quotes
• Markdown syntax leaking into non-Markdown text, such as stray **bold** or [links](url)
• Excessive boldface used only for emphasis
• Inline-header vertical lists where every item starts with a bold label and colon even though a plain list would be clearer

Required Output

• Group findings by category.
• Use continuous numbering across categories.
• Include line numbers and a short quote or phrase for each finding.
• Omit empty categories if there are no findings there.
• Always include Summary and Human Writing Score.

## AI Writing Tells Found

### Vocabulary
1. Line X: "delve" - consider a simpler alternative
2. Line X: "fostering" - filler verb

### Patterns
3. Line X: Negative parallelism - "not just X, but Y"
4. Line X: Significance puffery - "serves as a testament"

### Formatting
5. Line X: Curly quotes in a code context

### Summary
X items found across Y categories.

### Human Writing Score: X/10

Then ask: Which items should I fix? (all / specific numbers / none)

Scoring Guide

• 10: Reads like a specific human wrote it and has a clear voice.
• 9: Clean. No real tells.
• 8: One or two minor patterns, but nothing most readers would notice.
• 7: Competent but generic. A trained eye would catch several tells.
• 6: Obviously polished by AI. Multiple vocabulary or pattern flags.
• 5 or below: Reads like a chatbot wrote it.

Do not inflate scores. A score of 10 is not the goal.

Fix Rules

• Replace flagged words with simpler, more direct alternatives.
• Cut superficial -ing phrases instead of rewriting them into new filler.
• Flatten negative parallelisms into direct statements.
• Break rule-of-three lists if the third item adds nothing.
• Replace serves as or stands as with is where appropriate.
• Change only the approved items. Do not refactor surrounding text.

Rescan Rules

• After fixing, re-scan the same text and report the updated findings and score.
• If the score is below 8, ask: Another round? (yes / no)
• Do not auto-fix another round without confirmation.

Tell list adapted from Wikipedia: Signs of AI writing, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Modified and extended for use as a code editor skill.

This file is licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.