AI Tells — Structural Review
A judgment-based pass that catches the subtle tells the surface scan misses. Cite each finding, name the family, suggest a fix-direction. Then offer to rewrite.
When To Use
- Public-facing artifacts: READMEs, shipped docs, blog posts, release notes
- Technical writing where the prose itself is the deliverable
- After
ai-tells-scan has already stripped the obvious tokens
- When a draft "reads AI" but you can't articulate why
- Before publishing anything Nick wouldn't want attributed to a machine
Skip when: the artifact is internal-only and nobody cares, or the user only wants the mechanical pass (ai-tells-scan is enough).
Workflow
- Read the artifact end to end. Don't pattern-match line by line yet. Get the rhythm and shape first.
- Run the four-family rubric below. For each tell found, note: line(s), family, why it reads as a tell, fix-direction.
- Produce the findings report in the structure under "Output Shape."
- Offer the rewrite explicitly: "Want me to do a pass that fixes these?"
- If yes, rewrite preserving structure and content. Don't change what the doc is saying — change how it's saying it.
The user can stop at the report. Don't rewrite without explicit consent.
The Four-Family Rubric
1. Structural Reflexes
Default shapes the model reaches for regardless of fit.
- Aphoristic closer. Sentence trying to land like a punchline at the end of a section. Examples: "Premature alerts produce numbness." / "the auditor is always ahead." / "No artefact, no promotion." Fix-direction: end on the substantive point, not the epigram.
- Definitional opener. Every section starts "X is a Y that…" even when X was already established. Fix-direction: start with the action or the question instead.
- Echo paragraph. Paragraph N+1 restates paragraph N with synonyms. Fix-direction: delete one. Usually the second.
- Summary-of-summary closer. "In essence…" / "Ultimately…" wrapping up what was just said. Fix-direction: delete the closer; the section already ended.
- Over-signposting. "There are three things to consider. First…" when headers already do this. Fix-direction: delete the meta-narration.
- Self-narration. Prose commenting on what the doc is doing: "That's the dashboard's reason for existing." / "(this is where we start)" inside a diagram. Fix-direction: let the doc do the thing instead of describing itself.
- Decision-stamp formality.
**Decided 2026-05-18:** court-ruling style in personal notes. Fix-direction: drop the stamp; state the decision in prose.
- Labeled callback scheme. Q1–Q6, Layer 1/2/3, deliberately numbered cross-refs in a doc that didn't need them. Fix-direction: use names, not numbers; let prose carry the references.
2. Tonal Hedging
The model softens and balances by default, regardless of whether the topic warrants it.
- Manufactured both-sidesing. "However" / "That said" inserted to fake balance the topic doesn't need. Fix-direction: state the position; delete the hedge.
- "Worth noting" filler. Hedge phrases delaying the actual claim. Fix-direction: delete and lead with the claim.
- Reassuring middle. "This is normal / expected / fine" inserted where no one was worried. Fix-direction: delete unless the reader is genuinely likely to be alarmed.
- Equivocation-as-wisdom. "It depends" expanded into a fake decision framework. Fix-direction: if there's a real answer, give it. If it depends, name the one or two axes that actually matter.
- Earnest-explainer parentheticals. "(verified 2026-05-18)" / "(modulo any drift)" / "(per CLAUDE.md)" cross-refs everywhere. Fix-direction: trust the reader; integrate critical context into the sentence or delete the parenthetical.
3. Performative Emphasis
Signaling importance instead of being clear.
- Concept-puffing. Capitalizing ordinary words to make them feel like Concepts. Fix-direction: lowercase unless it's a proper noun or term-of-art.
- Empty positive adverbs. "elegantly," "seamlessly," "gracefully" attached to verbs. Fix-direction: delete the adverb. If the property matters, name it.
- Performative TL;DR. "Short answer:" decorating a response that wasn't long. Fix-direction: delete the label; the answer is the answer.
- Aspirational close. Ending on what could / might be done — forward-looking platitude. Fix-direction: end on what was done, or on the next concrete step.
- Contrastive bold. "This is not X — it's Y" / mirrored "Why not pure JSON: / Why not pure scriptblocks:" sections. Fix-direction: state the position directly. Delete the foil unless someone actually argued for it.
- Italicized rhetorical emphasis. Italics on ordinary words for tone, not for terms. Fix-direction: delete italics; if emphasis is essential, restructure the sentence.
4. Rhythm Patterns
The cadence itself is the tell.
- Uniform sentence length. Paragraphs where every sentence lands at ~15 words. Fix-direction: combine two short sentences into one long one, or break a long one into two short ones. Vary deliberately.
- Gerund cascade. "Building on this… Taking this further… Considering these factors…" Fix-direction: rewrite as concrete actions with subjects.
- Paragraph-level parallelism. Every paragraph opens with the same grammatical shape. Fix-direction: vary the openers — start one with a question, one with the subject, one with the verb.
- Coined-phrase tic. A minted phrase repeated 3+ times across the doc ("proves the framework" / "earns its place" / "5-second glance"). Fix-direction: keep the first use; rephrase the rest.
- Tricolon cadence at scale. Not just one three-item list — every list is three items, every emphasized sentence has three clauses. Fix-direction: break the pattern. Use twos and fours when they fit.
Output Shape
Produce the report in this structure. Cite line numbers when feasible.
# AI Tells Review: <doc-name>
**Verdict:** <reads-clean | minor-tells | reads-AI | reads-very-AI>
## Findings
### Family 1: Structural Reflexes
- **Line 42** — Aphoristic closer: "Premature alerts produce numbness."
_Fix-direction:_ end the section on the substantive point about alert volume, not the epigram.
- **Line 88** — Self-narration: "That's the dashboard's reason for existing."
_Fix-direction:_ delete; the preceding paragraph already established this.
### Family 2: Tonal Hedging
- **Line 17, 34, 61** — Earnest-explainer parentheticals: "(per CLAUDE.md)", "(modulo any drift)", "(verified 2026-05-18)"
_Fix-direction:_ drop all three. If timestamps matter, put them in a footer; otherwise delete.
### Family 3: Performative Emphasis
- **Line 12** — Contrastive bold: "This is not a generic 'service health' dashboard — every panel earns its place..."
_Fix-direction:_ lead with what the dashboard is, not what it isn't.
### Family 4: Rhythm Patterns
- **Throughout** — Coined-phrase tic: "proves the framework" appears 3 times in rows 1, 2, and 5.
_Fix-direction:_ keep the first; rephrase the second and third.
## Summary
<2-3 sentence assessment of which families dominate and what kind of pass would help most>
## Offer
Want me to do a rewrite pass that addresses these? I'll preserve structure
and content; only the prose changes.
Rewrite Constraints
If the user accepts the rewrite offer:
- Preserve all structural elements. Headings, code blocks, tables, lists — leave the skeleton alone.
- Preserve all factual claims. Don't add new content; don't drop content. Only rephrase.
- Preserve technical precision. Don't soften "FIPS 140-2 compliant" into "secure"; don't turn "Postgres 14" into "the database."
- Vary cadence deliberately. If the original was uniform, mix sentence lengths. If parallel, vary openers.
- Show the diff at the end. Brief summary of what changed and why, organized by family. Not a line-by-line; a 3-5 bullet summary.
What This Skill Does Not Do
- Replace
ai-tells-scan for the surface pass (run that first, or accept that obvious tells will appear in the report).
- Add a target voice. For voice work (Nick's voice, brand voice), use
nick-voice or the brand's voice skill after this pass.
- Verify factual claims. Use
doc-claim-validator for that.
- Critique information architecture or completeness. Use
doc-architecture-review or doc-completeness-audit.
This skill subtracts machine fingerprints. That's the whole job.
1---
2name: ai-tells-review
3description: "Use when public prose still sounds machine-written after ai-tells-scan. Complements ai-tells-scan's mechanical pass with structural judgment: rhythm, hedging, rhetorical reflexes, and performative emphasis. Trigger on 'review for AI tells,' 'does this read AI,' 'strip the AI smell,' or 'make this less AI.'"
4tags:
5 - writing
6 - editing
7 - prose
8 - documentation
9 - ai-tells
10 - review
11triggers:
12 - review for AI tells
13 - does this read AI
14 - strip the AI smell
15 - still reads AI after scan
16 - structural prose review
17 - rewrite AI-sounding prose
18keywords:
19 - AI smell
20 - structural review
21 - prose rhythm
22 - rhetorical reflexes
23 - hedging
24---
25
26# AI Tells — Structural Review
27
28A judgment-based pass that catches the subtle tells the surface scan misses. Cite each finding, name the family, suggest a fix-direction. Then offer to rewrite.
29
30## When To Use
31
32- Public-facing artifacts: READMEs, shipped docs, blog posts, release notes
33- Technical writing where the prose itself is the deliverable
34- After `ai-tells-scan` has already stripped the obvious tokens
35- When a draft "reads AI" but you can't articulate why
36- Before publishing anything Nick wouldn't want attributed to a machine
37
38Skip when: the artifact is internal-only and nobody cares, or the user only wants the mechanical pass (`ai-tells-scan` is enough).
39
40## Workflow
41
421. **Read the artifact end to end.** Don't pattern-match line by line yet. Get the rhythm and shape first.
432. **Run the four-family rubric** below. For each tell found, note: line(s), family, why it reads as a tell, fix-direction.
443. **Produce the findings report** in the structure under "Output Shape."
454. **Offer the rewrite** explicitly: "Want me to do a pass that fixes these?"
465. **If yes, rewrite preserving structure and content.** Don't change what the doc is saying — change how it's saying it.
47
48The user can stop at the report. Don't rewrite without explicit consent.
49
50## The Four-Family Rubric
51
52### 1. Structural Reflexes
53
54Default shapes the model reaches for regardless of fit.
55
56- **Aphoristic closer.** Sentence trying to land like a punchline at the end of a section. Examples: "Premature alerts produce numbness." / "the auditor is always ahead." / "No artefact, no promotion." _Fix-direction:_ end on the substantive point, not the epigram.
57- **Definitional opener.** Every section starts "X is a Y that…" even when X was already established. _Fix-direction:_ start with the action or the question instead.
58- **Echo paragraph.** Paragraph N+1 restates paragraph N with synonyms. _Fix-direction:_ delete one. Usually the second.
59- **Summary-of-summary closer.** "In essence…" / "Ultimately…" wrapping up what was just said. _Fix-direction:_ delete the closer; the section already ended.
60- **Over-signposting.** "There are three things to consider. First…" when headers already do this. _Fix-direction:_ delete the meta-narration.
61- **Self-narration.** Prose commenting on what the doc is doing: "That's the dashboard's reason for existing." / "(this is where we start)" inside a diagram. _Fix-direction:_ let the doc do the thing instead of describing itself.
62- **Decision-stamp formality.** `**Decided 2026-05-18:**` court-ruling style in personal notes. _Fix-direction:_ drop the stamp; state the decision in prose.
63- **Labeled callback scheme.** Q1–Q6, Layer 1/2/3, deliberately numbered cross-refs in a doc that didn't need them. _Fix-direction:_ use names, not numbers; let prose carry the references.
64
65### 2. Tonal Hedging
66
67The model softens and balances by default, regardless of whether the topic warrants it.
68
69- **Manufactured both-sidesing.** "However" / "That said" inserted to fake balance the topic doesn't need. _Fix-direction:_ state the position; delete the hedge.
70- **"Worth noting" filler.** Hedge phrases delaying the actual claim. _Fix-direction:_ delete and lead with the claim.
71- **Reassuring middle.** "This is normal / expected / fine" inserted where no one was worried. _Fix-direction:_ delete unless the reader is genuinely likely to be alarmed.
72- **Equivocation-as-wisdom.** "It depends" expanded into a fake decision framework. _Fix-direction:_ if there's a real answer, give it. If it depends, name the _one or two_ axes that actually matter.
73- **Earnest-explainer parentheticals.** "(verified 2026-05-18)" / "(modulo any drift)" / "(per CLAUDE.md)" cross-refs everywhere. _Fix-direction:_ trust the reader; integrate critical context into the sentence or delete the parenthetical.
74
75### 3. Performative Emphasis
76
77Signaling importance instead of being clear.
78
79- **Concept-puffing.** Capitalizing ordinary words to make them feel like Concepts. _Fix-direction:_ lowercase unless it's a proper noun or term-of-art.
80- **Empty positive adverbs.** "elegantly," "seamlessly," "gracefully" attached to verbs. _Fix-direction:_ delete the adverb. If the property matters, name it.
81- **Performative TL;DR.** "Short answer:" decorating a response that wasn't long. _Fix-direction:_ delete the label; the answer is the answer.
82- **Aspirational close.** Ending on what _could_ / _might_ be done — forward-looking platitude. _Fix-direction:_ end on what was done, or on the next concrete step.
83- **Contrastive bold.** "This is not X — it's Y" / mirrored "Why not pure JSON: / Why not pure scriptblocks:" sections. _Fix-direction:_ state the position directly. Delete the foil unless someone actually argued for it.
84- **Italicized rhetorical emphasis.** Italics on ordinary words for tone, not for terms. _Fix-direction:_ delete italics; if emphasis is essential, restructure the sentence.
85
86### 4. Rhythm Patterns
87
88The cadence itself is the tell.
89
90- **Uniform sentence length.** Paragraphs where every sentence lands at ~15 words. _Fix-direction:_ combine two short sentences into one long one, or break a long one into two short ones. Vary deliberately.
91- **Gerund cascade.** "Building on this… Taking this further… Considering these factors…" _Fix-direction:_ rewrite as concrete actions with subjects.
92- **Paragraph-level parallelism.** Every paragraph opens with the same grammatical shape. _Fix-direction:_ vary the openers — start one with a question, one with the subject, one with the verb.
93- **Coined-phrase tic.** A minted phrase repeated 3+ times across the doc ("proves the framework" / "earns its place" / "5-second glance"). _Fix-direction:_ keep the first use; rephrase the rest.
94- **Tricolon cadence at scale.** Not just one three-item list — every list is three items, every emphasized sentence has three clauses. _Fix-direction:_ break the pattern. Use twos and fours when they fit.
95
96---
97
98## Output Shape
99
100Produce the report in this structure. Cite line numbers when feasible.
101
102```markdown
103# AI Tells Review: <doc-name>
104
105**Verdict:** <reads-clean | minor-tells | reads-AI | reads-very-AI>
106
107## Findings
108
109### Family 1: Structural Reflexes
110
111- **Line 42** — Aphoristic closer: "Premature alerts produce numbness."
112 _Fix-direction:_ end the section on the substantive point about alert volume, not the epigram.
113- **Line 88** — Self-narration: "That's the dashboard's reason for existing."
114 _Fix-direction:_ delete; the preceding paragraph already established this.
115
116### Family 2: Tonal Hedging
117
118- **Line 17, 34, 61** — Earnest-explainer parentheticals: "(per CLAUDE.md)", "(modulo any drift)", "(verified 2026-05-18)"
119 _Fix-direction:_ drop all three. If timestamps matter, put them in a footer; otherwise delete.
120
121### Family 3: Performative Emphasis
122
123- **Line 12** — Contrastive bold: "This is not a generic 'service health' dashboard — every panel earns its place..."
124 _Fix-direction:_ lead with what the dashboard is, not what it isn't.
125
126### Family 4: Rhythm Patterns
127
128- **Throughout** — Coined-phrase tic: "proves the framework" appears 3 times in rows 1, 2, and 5.
129 _Fix-direction:_ keep the first; rephrase the second and third.
130
131## Summary
132
133<2-3 sentence assessment of which families dominate and what kind of pass would help most>
134
135## Offer
136
137Want me to do a rewrite pass that addresses these? I'll preserve structure
138and content; only the prose changes.
139```
140
141## Rewrite Constraints
142
143If the user accepts the rewrite offer:
144
145- **Preserve all structural elements.** Headings, code blocks, tables, lists — leave the skeleton alone.
146- **Preserve all factual claims.** Don't add new content; don't drop content. Only rephrase.
147- **Preserve technical precision.** Don't soften "FIPS 140-2 compliant" into "secure"; don't turn "Postgres 14" into "the database."
148- **Vary cadence deliberately.** If the original was uniform, mix sentence lengths. If parallel, vary openers.
149- **Show the diff at the end.** Brief summary of what changed and why, organized by family. Not a line-by-line; a 3-5 bullet summary.
150
151## What This Skill Does Not Do
152
153- Replace `ai-tells-scan` for the surface pass (run that first, or accept that obvious tells will appear in the report).
154- Add a target voice. For voice work (Nick's voice, brand voice), use `nick-voice` or the brand's voice skill after this pass.
155- Verify factual claims. Use `doc-claim-validator` for that.
156- Critique information architecture or completeness. Use `doc-architecture-review` or `doc-completeness-audit`.
157
158This skill subtracts machine fingerprints. That's the whole job.
nickcrew