before he crosses

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "before he crosses" is correct and usable in written English.
It can be used to indicate a point in time prior to someone crossing a boundary, street, or metaphorical line. Example: "Make sure to warn him before he crosses the street."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Wiki

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

8 human-written examples

Before he crosses.

The New Yorker

When he runs up to a street, he will stop and check traffic both ways before he crosses.

The New York Times

Before he crosses paths with the Man (whose face is never seen), UB is, to quote one of the secret agents with whom he eventually joins forces, "a 'Soul Train' reject with a Robin Hood complex," breaking into banks to tamper with their mortgage records.

The New York Times

In the pummelling melee of a match, can he always make out the line before he crosses it?

BBC

A Royal Canadian Mounted Police officer watches as a man is checked by U.S. border patrol before he crosses the U.S.-Canada border on March 2, 2017.

HuffPost

When Rep. Adam Schiff (D-Burbank) runs, it normally takes months of hand-shaking and many hundreds of thousands of dollars before he crosses the finish line.

Los Angeles Times

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

52 human-written examples

Asthma had him struggling for breath even before he crossed the border.

The New York Times

Even before he crossed the line, the victor looked across at the vanquished.

The Economist

Trouble was, he did it before he crossed the goal line.

The New York Times - Sports

He shrieked with delight even before he crossed the line with a time of 9.85 seconds.

The New York Times - Sports

Federal law enforcement officials were scrutinizing Tommy Gambino's activities long before he crossed paths with Roger Clinton.

The New York Times

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Consider the nuance of the context. Use alternatives like "prior to his crossing" for formal contexts or "until his arrival" to emphasize the end result of crossing.

Common error

Avoid using "before he crosses" when the intended meaning is "after he crosses". The temporal order is crucial. Ensure that the action of crossing is completed after the event described by the first part of the sentence.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "before he crosses" functions as a temporal conjunction, introducing a dependent clause that specifies the timing of an event relative to the act of crossing. Ludwig AI confirms this is grammatically correct.

Expression frequency: Uncommon

Frequent in

News & Media

60%

Wiki

20%

Academia

10%

Less common in

Formal & Business

5%

Encyclopedias

3%

Science

2%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, "before he crosses" is a grammatically correct temporal phrase used to indicate an action or state occurring prior to someone crossing a boundary, whether physical or metaphorical. As confirmed by Ludwig AI, this phrase is most frequently found in News & Media sources, and its usage is quite consistent. While it's a straightforward construction, be mindful of maintaining clarity regarding what is being crossed. Alternatives such as "prior to him crossing" or "ahead of his crossing" can provide subtle shifts in formality or emphasis.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

prior to him crossing

Formal alternative using a gerund phrase instead of a clause.

ahead of his crossing

Emphasizes the temporal aspect, highlighting the time before the action.

in advance of him crossing

More formal and emphasizes preparation or anticipation.

before his transition

More general, replaces "crosses" with a broader term for movement or change.

until he has crossed

Shifts focus to the completion of the crossing action.

previous to his passage

Replaces "crosses" with "passage", altering the tone.

earlier than his move

Simple alternative replacing crossing with a more common word "move".

preceding his traversal

Formal and less common, uses "traversal" to replace "crosses".

until his arrival

Focus shifts from the action of crossing to the end result.

antecedent to his passing

Uses "antecedent" to denote what comes before, and "passing" in place of crossing.

FAQs

How to use "before he crosses" in a sentence?

Use "before he crosses" to describe an action or state that occurs prior to someone crossing a physical or metaphorical boundary. For example, "Check for traffic before he crosses the street".

What can I say instead of "before he crosses"?

Alternatives include "prior to him crossing", "ahead of his crossing", or "in advance of him crossing", depending on the desired level of formality and emphasis.

Is it always necessary to specify what "he" is crossing when using the phrase "before he crosses"?

While not always grammatically required, specifying the object of crossing (e.g., the street, the border, the finish line) often enhances clarity and prevents potential ambiguity.

What's the difference between "before he crosses" and "after he crosses"?

"Before he crosses" indicates that something happens prior to the act of crossing, whereas "after he crosses" indicates it happens subsequently. The temporal order is reversed, affecting the sentence's meaning entirely.