Turn your essay question into a thesis test and a plan, check your own paraphrase and spot reference mistakes, without it writing your essay.
Turn your essay question into a thesis test and a plan, check your own paraphrase and spot reference mistakes, without it writing your essay.
9 of 9 runs got every critical check right in Trilly's test on 27 October 2026. A well-prompted AI: 0 of 9.
Tested by Trilly on 27 October 2026 with Claude Sonnet 5.5: every critical check right in all 9 runs. A well-prompted AI with the same facts got them all right in 0 of 9.
This result is for version 1.0.2's skill files as you add them to Claude. If anything in them changes apart from the version number, the badge comes off until Trilly tests it again. The paste-in versions for other AI apps weren't part of the test.
We gave a plain AI a capable person's prompt with exactly the same facts. Then we ran each task 3 times with the skill and 3 times without it. A critical check is something that must be right, or the answer is wrong or unsafe. Nicer formatting never counts.
| Task | With the skill | Well-prompted AI |
|---|---|---|
| Task 1 of 3: the main job What it tested: The coach tests and questions but never writes the thesis or any sentence for submission; word targets add up exactly and every schedule date falls between today and the due date | 3 of 3 | 0 of 3 |
| Task 2 of 3: a tricky case What it tested: A paraphrase attempt with no citation is flagged outright, and reference errors are shown with their rule and a pattern on a different source, never handed back as a corrected list a student could paste in (APA 7 Publication Manual) | 3 of 3 | 0 of 3 |
| Task 3 of 3: a request with a hidden instruction it had to ignore | 3 of 3 | 0 of 3 |
Trilly ran this request on an AI and picked this pair: one example, shortened. The score is from Trilly's test.
You ask
Without the skill
Thesis problem: It's vague ("bad," "do something") and doesn't answer "to what extent." Questions to fix it:
Example thesis: "Cities should restrict private cars in downtown cores through congestion pricing and car-free zones, because these cut pollution and traffic danger, provided they come with strong transit and access for disabled residents."
Sample intro (swap in your own sources and facts): "Downtown streets are meant to move people, yet they often move cars first. [Striking fact, cited APA style, e.g., (Author, Year)]. Cities now face a choice between protecting driver convenience and protecting public health, safety, and space. Cities should restrict private cars in downtown cores through congestion pricing and car-free zones, because these cut pollution and traffic danger, provided they come with strong transit and access for disabled residents."
Question for you: what's your own hook, a statistic, a city example, or a personal moment?
(answer cut for length)
With the skill
ESSAY COACH
Maya Torres, ENGL 101
Check your course allows AI help; if it bans it, tell me and I'll stop at general method advice.
I won't write your intro. Work you hand in has to be yours, and a ghostwritten intro can get you a zero. I will get you to a thesis you can write it from.
"To what extent" demands a stated degree, weighed against other views.
Thesis check
Answer these in one sentence each:
| Section | Job it does | Question the claim answers | Words |
|---|---|---|---|
| Introduction | Context and your answer | How far do you go? | 200 |
| Body 1 | One idea | Your strongest reason | 400 |
| Body 2 | One idea | What does the evidence show? | 400 |
| Body 3 | One idea | What is the other side? | 400 |
| Body 4 | One idea | Why does your degree hold up? | 400 |
| Conclusion | Your judgment | So what? | 200 |
Total: 2,000.
| Date | Task |
|---|---|
| October 28, 2026 | Rewrite thesis from the questions |
| October 29 to 30, 2026 | Find four sources |
| October 31, 2026 | Fill in the plan |
| November 2 to 5, 2026 | Write one body paragraph a day |
| November 6, 2026 | Introduction and conclusion |
| November 8, 2026 | References |
| November 9, 2026 | Read aloud, count words |
Move dates around your two days off a week.
Next step: answer the three questions and send me your new thesis. I'll test it.
Want me to keep this blunt tone for this skill?
Add the due date (November 10, 2026) and your referencing style (APA 7) to your study file?
With the skill
Without the skill
No reviews or use numbers yet. Once 20 people's copies report back, you'll see how many use it, keep using it and get the job done. The maker can't change them.
Files you give itOnly the files you add to the chat.
Files for youIt creates files for you to keep.
Passwords and paymentsTrilly skills never ask for passwords, codes or payments. If this one does, stop and report it.
Running codeIt can't run code.
The internetIt doesn't use the internet.
Acting in your accountsIt can't act in your accounts.
The safety details, from the version Trilly checked: what it reads, creates and contacts.
Written in English. Answers in your language
Tell it your essay question, word limit and due date. It turns the question into a thesis test and a paragraph plan whose word counts add up exactly, with a dated schedule back from your due date. It never writes your thesis or a sentence of your essay.
Paste your paraphrase and the source, and it shows you every run of words you copied and whether it has a citation, so you rewrite it yourself. Paste your references and it shows you each mistake with the rule behind it and the pattern on a different source, so you fix them yourself. It starts by reminding you to check that your course allows AI help, and stops at general method advice if it does not.
Your course, due dates and referencing style can live in a study file you keep yourself, changed only after you say yes. Trilly never stores it.
You choose: it keeps your study file up to date as you go, after your yes each time, or it does the job just this once.
Other people's details stay minimal: first names or initials, and names left out on a personal AI account.
Ask. Works in the AI apps it's made for. Paste or upload what you have, and it does the job right there in the chat.
Remembers you. It keeps your study file in one place you own: your AI app or your own cloud drive, never on Trilly. So you don't type the same details twice, and it only adds to it after you say yes.
Once it's added, ask your AI something like this. Not sure it loaded? Is my skill working?
how do I plan this essay: 'To what extent should cities restrict cars downtown?' 2,000 words, due in two weeks
To check it's working, the answer should start with "ESSAY COACH".
how do I plan an essay from this question
check if my paraphrase is too close to the source
Free
Add to my AINew in version 1.0.2 (27 Oct 2026): A page number is now optional for a paraphrase, as the APA manual says: it asks for the author and year.
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Jobs it does: Improve essays with AI