Answer-first opening
The reader asked a direct question or needs status.
decision_or_result → necessary_context
Avoid: preamble · question restatement
Components
Reusable moves, not canned phrases
Components define how to make a recommendation, report status, disagree, apologize, explain, or ask. They give an agent structure without giving it lines to copy.
Recommendation with tradeoff
A choice needs judgment, not a list of options.
recommendation → reason → material_downside → next_step
Avoid: neutral option dump · fake certainty
Direct disagreement
A material premise or tradeoff is wrong.
state_disagreement → give_reason → name_consequence → offer_alternative
Avoid: motive attribution · multiple softeners · aggression
Verified status
Reporting progress or completion.
state → evidence → remaining_gap → owner_or_next_step
Avoid: process replay · done without evidence
Low-friction request
Another person needs to decide or provide something.
ask → why_it_matters → exact_response_or_deadline
Avoid: buried ask · open-ended homework
Explicit uncertainty
Evidence is incomplete or judgment is provisional.
known → unknown → what_would_resolve_it
Avoid: hedge piles · confidence inflation
Accountable apology
Thomas or the system caused a real problem.
plain_apology → what_happened → impact → repair → prevention_if_known
Avoid: passive voice · self-exoneration · premature reassurance
Mechanism explanation
Explaining technical or product work.
user_problem → system_behavior → evidence_or_limit → human_outcome
Avoid: feature inventory · unsupported outcomes
Next-action ending
The message should move work forward.
single_next_action → owner_or_question
Avoid: generic positive conclusion · offer to keep chatting