Every year, the essay topics in the Chinese National College Entrance Examination (Gaokao) receive widespread attention and coverage. In English, the topic of an essay is not referred to as Questions or Problems, but rather as Essay prompts.
Here is an example:
Read the material below and write according to the requirements.
Mozi said: “View others’ countries as you view your own; view others’ homes as you view your own; view others’ bodies as you view your own.” British poet John Donne said: “No man is an island, entire of itself; every man is a piece of the continent, a part of the main.”
In English, Prompt is a commonly used term that frequently appears in more formal situations, typically functioning as a verb or noun, and sometimes as an adjective.
While it is certainly worth learning, Prompt is relatively abstract and is considered a big word; many people do not have a solid grasp of its meaning and usage.
From an etymological perspective, Prompt originated from a Latin word, later entered French, and was then introduced into medieval English from Old French.
The meaning of Prompt in Latin is also quite abstract, akin to the English word Prepared, with a literal meaning close to To take forth, or to bring something forward or out.
To understand the meaning of Prompt, the etymology clearly does not provide any obvious help; a more effective approach is to start from the areas where the word Prompt is used.
The term Prompt gained significant attention in English on the theatrical stage. In the 16th century, English drama broke free from the influence of the church during the medieval period and became the most popular form of entertainment.
At that time, the stage scenery and props were quite simple, and the story and character development relied heavily on dialogue. Shakespeare’s Hamlet has over 4000 lines of dialogue, with the protagonist, Prince of Denmark, having more than 1500 lines.
The large volume of dialogue can create pressure for actors, leading them to forget their lines. The solution devised by theater companies was to assign a Prompter, who would sit in the opening of the stage floor holding a script, and whisper a few words to remind actors whenever they forgot their lines, preventing awkward silences.
On today’s theatrical stages, including operas and musicals, the role of Prompter still exists.
The term Prompt indicating “stage prompting” can still be found in dictionaries, although it is no longer the primary definition. Prompt can function as a verb, referring to the act of prompting lines, or as a noun, referring to the words spoken during prompting.
Essay prompts are derived from this, metaphorically likening the practice on the theatrical stage to students writing essays; teachers provide several paragraphs as a topic, requiring students to elaborate and write an essay.
In today’s public speaking and news broadcasting on television, a Teleprompter is used; this device serves to replace the role of the Prompter.
Besides the main actors, extras, and even the audience offstage, sometimes also receive Prompt. A few years ago, there was an animated film Shrek, in which one of the monarchs frequently prompted his subjects.
The meaning of Prompt in everyday life is derived from “stage prompting” and is roughly equivalent to the Chinese term “促使”.
Prompt can take a person as an object, defined as: to encourage sb to speak by asking them questions or suggesting words that they could say, encouraging the other party to speak through questions and short prompts.
This meaning is analogous to using prompting on the theatrical stage as a metaphor for prompts in daily conversation. For example:
She was too nervous to speak and had to be prompted. 她当时非常紧张，需要由别人不断提示，才能把话说出来。
Additionally, Prompt can take an object that is a thing or action, referring not to encouraging someone to speak, but rather: to make sb decide to do sth; to cause sth to happen, indicating that a certain situation leads someone to decide to do something or causes something to happen. For example:
The discovery of the bomb prompted an increase in security. 在发现了炸弹之后，安保措施很快就变得更加严密。
The thought of her daughter’s wedding day prompted her to lose some weight. 想到不久就要参加女儿的婚礼，这位女士决定立即开始减轻体重。
The extended meanings of Prompt all stem from “prompting lines on the stage”. When performing on stage, actors are extremely familiar with their lines and can recite them without hesitation; occasional prompting only requires hearing a few words to continue with the rest of the lines.
Thus, the meanings of Prompt such as “prompting, encouraging, demanding” carry a connotation of “acting without hesitation, taking immediate action”, which is distinctly different from terms like Cause, Make, Motivate, and Urge.
From the verb’s implication of “acting without hesitation, taking immediate action”, Prompt further extends to adjective and adverb meanings, used to describe: done without delay, taking action immediately; for example:
Prompt action was required as the fire spread. 当时火灾正在扩散，必须立即采取行动。
Prompt payment of the invoice would be appreciated. 希望贵方立即按照费用清单的项目支付费用。
She read the letter and promptly burst into tears. 读完那封信后，她顿时流下了眼泪。
Prompt as an adjective and adverb can also convey meanings similar to Punctual, indicating: to act immediately at the agreed time; for example:
Please be prompt when attending these meetings. 这几次会议，请务必不要迟到。
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