a few hours previous

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "a few hours previous" is correct and usable in written English.
It can be used to refer to a time that occurred a few hours before a specific point in time being discussed. Example: "The meeting was scheduled for 3 PM, but I had already received the report a few hours previous."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Science

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

2 human-written examples

This nighttime scene is a far cry from the innocuous, sausage-munching scene of a few hours previous.

Vice

Until a few hours previous, my only reference points for Jamiroquai were the video for "Deeper Underground" which routinely pissed me off throughout my teens as it aired on MTV2 between what felt like every other song, and that scene in Napoleon Dynamite where Napoleon dances to "Canned Heat" in front of an auditorium of bewildered but also extremely impressed peers.

Vice

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

58 human-written examples

In addition, our observations of laser-severed wings suggest that the response of R to cell elongation is not instantaneous, but follows with a time delay τ d of a few hours (see previous discussion and Figure 8 figure supplement 3), which also must be incorporated in the theory.

eLife

Nervousness took its toll on Bill and Bonnie Layher, who said they had lost a few hours of sleep the previous night anticipating their flight to Orlando.

The New York Times

We recently found that the number of DSBs increases in cortical neurons after a few hours of exploration, confirming previous evidence [ 46].

BMC Biology

Also, a decrease of incorporation after a few hours of incubation reported in previous studies performed on pteropods [28], [36] was not found.

Plosone

If food is removed only a few hours before the time of previous food availability, then mice may not be "hungry" enough to express FAA on the first day of food deprivation.

Plosone

Battery life is considerably shorter than the previous generation by a few hours and nixing the GBA slot eliminates the use of all previous accessories that one might have purchased.

TechCrunch

On Christmas morning he will be tired from only having a few hours sleep per night for the previous week.

The Guardian

It is made in Turkish homes by boiling milk in an uncovered pan to sterilize it and to evaporate water; after cooling, the milk is inoculated with yogurt from a previous batch, incubated a few hours, then slowly cooled to room temperature before use.

Encyclopedia Britannica

Urine is the main route of excretion of metals, and urine concentrations of most metals reflect previous exposure within a few hours or days, except for cadmium, for which urinary outputs reflect cumulative exposure (Tellez-Plaza et al. 2012).

Environmental Health Perspectives

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

When using "a few hours previous", ensure the context clearly establishes the point of reference in time. This helps avoid ambiguity for the reader.

Common error

While grammatically correct, "a few hours previous" can sound slightly formal or stilted in casual writing. Consider using simpler alternatives like "a few hours before" or "earlier that day" for a more natural tone.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "a few hours previous" functions as an adverbial phrase modifying a verb or clause by specifying a time frame. It indicates when an action or state occurred in relation to another point in time. Ludwig confirms its grammatical correctness.

Expression frequency: Rare

Frequent in

News & Media

50%

Science

50%

Formal & Business

0%

Less common in

Encyclopedias

0%

Wiki

0%

Reference

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, the phrase "a few hours previous" is a grammatically correct phrase used to indicate a time frame shortly before a specific moment. Ludwig AI confirms this. While it appears in various sources, including News & Media and Science, it's relatively rare, suggesting that more common alternatives like "a few hours earlier" might be preferred in certain contexts. When using this phrase, ensure the time reference is clear and be mindful of the potential for a slightly formal tone. For more casual writing, consider simpler alternatives.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

a few hours before

Directly replaces 'previous' with 'before', maintaining the same meaning and grammatical structure.

a couple of hours earlier

Uses 'couple' instead of 'few' and 'earlier' in place of 'previous', slightly changing the tone to be more casual.

several hours prior

Employs 'several' for a less precise quantity and 'prior' as a more formal substitute for 'previous'.

hours beforehand

Replaces "a few" with a general "hours" and "previous" with "beforehand", simplifying the structure.

in the hours leading up to

Describes the time frame in terms of the lead-up to an event, shifting the focus slightly.

a short time earlier

More general term to define a time frame occurred not long ago

within a few hours

Describes a time interval, changing the sentence structure.

some hours ago

Uses 'some' and 'ago' to indicate a past time, diverging more significantly from the original phrase's structure.

earlier that day

Replaces the specific time frame with a more general daytime reference.

shortly before

Simplifies the phrase to a more concise expression of temporal proximity.

FAQs

What does "a few hours previous" mean?

The phrase "a few hours previous" refers to a time period occurring some hours before a specific point in time that's being discussed. It's similar to saying "a few hours earlier".

How can I use "a few hours previous" in a sentence?

You can use "a few hours previous" to indicate something that happened shortly before something else. For example: "The event started at noon, but I had arrived "a few hours previous"."

What are some alternatives to "a few hours previous"?

Alternatives to "a few hours previous" include "a few hours before", "earlier that day", or "shortly before", depending on the context.

Is "a few hours previous" formal or informal?

The phrase "a few hours previous" leans towards the formal side. In more casual contexts, consider using phrases like "a few hours earlier" or "before that".