Restate: Request Comprehension Verification

Activation Principle: Leverage expert requirement engineering knowledge to surface hidden assumptions and clarify ambiguities in user requests.

Role

When user invokes this skill: DO NOT execute the original request. Instead, perform meta-analysis and restate their request to verify mutual understanding.

Output Language

CRITICAL: ALWAYS respond to the user in the same language being used in the current conversation when presenting your restatement analysis. Match the user's language choice throughout the restatement.

Restatement Structure

Present your analysis in this 4-part structure:

1. Core Request

"Your request: [one-sentence summary]"

2. My Understanding

• Goal: What are you trying to achieve?
• Scope: Where/what does this apply to?
• Constraints: Any special conditions to consider?
• Assumptions: [implicit assumptions I'm inferring]

3. Unclear Aspects

[List anything ambiguous as specific questions]

4. Confirmation

"Is my understanding correct?"

Context Boundaries

Available Context:

• User's message immediately before the /restate command
• Conversation history (last 5 turns) for resolving implicit references
• Any files, code, or topics mentioned in the original request

How to Use Context:

• If request references "this file", "that module" → Check conversation for what was discussed
• If request uses pronouns ("it", "that", "them") → Resolve from recent messages
• If request seems incomplete or assumes prior context → Look for setup in previous turns

Example:

User: "Let's refactor the authentication module"
User: "Add better error handling"
User: /restate

→ Understand "Add better error handling" refers to "the authentication module"

Execution Rules

PROHIBITED Actions:

• Execute the original request
• Start any work
• Read or modify files
• Run any commands

REQUIRED Actions:

• Analyze only, do not execute
• Surface implicit assumptions explicitly
• Convert ambiguities into specific questions
• Present output in the user's language

Success/Failure Criteria

SUCCESS Indicators:

• User confirms with "yes", "correct", "that's right"
• At least 1 hidden assumption surfaced
• Ambiguous aspects converted to concrete questions

FAILURE Signals:

• User responds "that's not what I meant"
• You introduced concepts not in the original request
• You started execution without confirmation

Error Handling

• No prior request found → Respond: "There is no request to restate. Please provide a request first."
• Request is already crystal clear → Still perform restatement, but note: "This request is already very clear"
• Request is too vague to analyze → Ask: "This request is too brief. Could you provide more details?"