ChatGPT-3.5 is failing to respond to an english test question

Hello, it’s being my first attempts on using chatgpt-3.5 and still no success.

I’m trying to make it explain why my answer for an english test question in incorrect, but the problem is that says my answer (B) is correct when the correct answer is A.

This is how I’m calling the API.

System message:
You are a helpful TOEFL / IELTS English assistant.

Query:
Please explain why my answer for the next TOEFL / IELTS English question is wrong. Here is the question:
In the passage that follows, certain words and phrases are underlined and numbered. In the right-hand column, you will find alternatives for the underlined part. In most cases, you are to choose the one that best expresses the idea, makes the statement appropriate for standard written English, or is worded most consistently with the style and tone of the passage as a whole. If you think the original version is best, choose "NO CHANGE." In some cases, you will find in the right-hand column a question about the underlined part. You are to choose the best answer to the question.

You will also find questions about a section of the passage, or about the passage as a whole. These questions do not refer to an underlined portion of the passage, but rather are identified by a number or numbers in a box.

For each question, choose the alternative you consider best and fill in the corresponding oval on your answer document. Read the passage through once before you begin to answer the questions that accompany it. For many of the questions, you must read several sentences beyond the question to determine the answer. Be sure that you have read far enough ahead each time you choose an alternative.

Questions 1-5 are based on the following passage.

The so-called golden age of patent medicines lasted from the mid-nineteenth century into the first two decades of the twentieth century. (1) By modern standards, Americans during this period knew very little about human physiology, biochemistry, and endocrinology. They sought quick solutions for medical (2) problems, that they did not necessarily understand. (3) Doctors when available were not always to be trusted. Hospitals, where available, were often considered places where people went to die. Patent medicines offered quick, convenient, and inexpensive relief from arthritis, depression, and mental illness, as well as (4) womens problems, indigestion, liver problems, and lack of hair growth. Children were dosed with medicines to aid their (5) growth; feed their blood; and facilitate the movement of their digestive tract.
(1)
A) NO CHANGE
B) By modern standards Americans
C) By, modern standards, Americans
D) By modern standards Americans,
My answer was B) By modern standards Americans

Bot response:

Your answer of “B) By modern standards Americans” for question 1 is correct. There is no need for a comma after “Americans” in order for the sentence to make sense. Option B is the best alternative as it is grammatically correct and maintains the meaning of the original sentence. Well done!

Correct answer:

The correct answer is A.

//–

It’s true that in plain text it cannot distinguish the underlined text, but I have to add that also tried to pass the question in html format (so it can understand the underlined text) and instructed it to keep in mind that underlined text is text between tags, but the bot always says that my answer B is correct, when it is not.

You’ll have better luck if you do three things,

  1. Actually underline (or otherwise denote) the correct sections in the prompt.
  2. Ask it which one is correct and to explain why each incorrect option is wrong.
  3. Break up the question and remove extraneous information.
  4. Replace “no change” with the original text.

See,

System

You are a helpful TOEFL / IELTS English assistant.

In each passage provided by the user, certain words and phrases are bolded. The user will also provide alternatives for the bolded part. You are to choose the one that best expresses the idea, makes the statement appropriate for standard written English, or is worded most consistently with the style and tone of the passage as a whole. In some cases, the user will provide a question about the bolded part. In that case you are to choose the best answer to the question.

Occasionally a user may ask questions about a section of the passage, or about the passage as a whole.

User

The so-called golden age of patent medicines lasted from the mid-nineteenth century into the first two decades of the twentieth century. By modern standards, Americans during this period knew very little about human physiology, biochemistry, and endocrinology. They sought quick solutions for medical problems, that they did not necessarily understand. Doctors when available were not always to be trusted. Hospitals, where available, were often considered places where people went to die. Patent medicines offered quick, convenient, and inexpensive relief from arthritis, depression, and mental illness, as well as womens problems, indigestion, liver problems, and lack of hair growth. Children were dosed with medicines to aid their growth; feed their blood; and facilitate the movement of their digestive tract.

A) By modern standards, Americans
B) By modern standards Americans
C) By, modern standards, Americans
D) By modern standards Americans,

User

Choose the option you consider best and state the best answer then follow the correct answer with a brief explanation as to why the other answers are not correct.

Assistant

A) By modern standards, Americans

This option correctly uses a comma to set off the introductory phrase “By modern standards” and also correctly uses the adjective “modern” to describe the standards. The use of “Americans” without a comma after “standards” is also correct.

B) By modern standards Americans

This option is missing a comma after “standards” to set off the introductory phrase “By modern standards.” The lack of a comma changes the meaning of the sentence.

C) By, modern standards, Americans

This option uses commas incorrectly, placing them around the adjective “modern.” Commas are not needed to set off the adjective.

D) By modern standards Americans,

This option incorrectly places a comma after “Americans.” Commas are not needed in this location.

1 Like

Thank you very much @elmstedt. You were very helpful, and I’ll try your suggestions.

One more question:

The questions come from a cloud database and html formatted, but if I send the query in plain text, all the formatting, for example, underlying, will be lost and it’s necessary to understand the question.

Besides, it’ll be not easy to replace the “No Change”, because the questions are already created this way and I’m not sure how I will replace No Change programmatically, I’ll think on it, but the main subject is how will I underline non html text in the query? Or should I send html formatted text?

Thanks.

Without seeing the actual data, this is how I imagine I would try to do it.

  1. Bring them in HTML formatted.
  2. Convert the underline tags to bold tags.
  3. Convert the HTML into markdown (it’s a little more dense).
  4. Submit the question as markdown.

Extract the underlined (now bolded) text from the which follows the (1) (or whichever number) using regex and substitute that text for the “no change.”