both pre and post

USAGE SUMMARY

'both pre and post' is correct and usable in written English.
You can use it when you want to refer to events or activities which happened both before and after a certain event or period of time. For example, "We studied both pre and post World War II documents to gain a clearer understanding of the conflict."

✓ Grammatically correct

Science

Academia

Science & Research

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

7 human-written examples

The LCS >15 nearly perfectly predicted hydration status in both pre and post dialysis states.

Intensive Care Medicine Experimental

When both PRE and POST were equal to 0, MI was defined as 0 (no change).

Plosone

Both pre and post insult, the administration of EPO attenuates tissue injury.

Critical Care

This systematic error was present in both pre and post measurements.

European Journal of Applied Physiology

The study results only represent matched scores for participants completing both pre and post assessments.

BMC Medical Education

Participants were not required to complete both pre and post assessment instruments to receive course credit.

BMC Medical Education

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

53 human-written examples

It should be mentioned that for each sample, blood was drawn both pre-and post-deployment.

Nature

Both pre-and post-interviews followed a topic guide.

BMC Medical Education

It should be mentioned that for each sample, blood was drawn both pre- and post-deployment.

Nature

Both pre- and post-publication peer review mechanisms dramatically accelerate and expand the evaluation process68.

Nature

Anesthetics act at both pre- and post-synaptic sites to alter neurotransmission in higher brain centers.

Stanford University

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Avoid redundancy by ensuring that the terms modified by "both pre and post" are truly distinct and necessary. Sometimes, using only one might suffice depending on the sentence.

Common error

Be consistent with hyphenation. While "pre- and post-" is commonly seen, ensure it aligns with the surrounding text's style. Avoid mixing hyphenated and non-hyphenated forms within the same document to maintain a polished and professional tone.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "both pre and post" functions as a modifier, specifying that something applies to the periods or states preceding and following a particular event or condition. As Ludwig confirms, it's a grammatically correct and usable phrase in written English.

Expression frequency: Uncommon

Frequent in

Science

57%

Academia

33%

Science & Research

10%

Less common in

News & Media

0%

Formal & Business

0%

Encyclopedias

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, the phrase "both pre and post" is a grammatically sound and useful expression, primarily employed in scientific and academic contexts to denote something that occurs or is measured both before and after a specific event. Ludwig AI confirms its correctness and usability. While similar phrases like "before and after" exist, "both pre and post" often carries a more formal tone. When using this phrase, clarity about the 'event' is critical, along with consistency in hyphenation. Its prevalence in scientific and academic literature underscores its role in precise and thorough communication.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

before and after

Omits "both" and replaces "pre" and "post" with full words, creating a more straightforward expression of time.

in both the pre and post phases

Adds 'phases' to specify stages of a process before and after event.

spanning the period before and after

Uses a more descriptive verb "spanning" to indicate the time frame.

encompassing pre-event and post-event periods

Replaces "pre and post" with "pre-event and post-event", specifying the type of periods involved.

covering the times before and after

Uses "covering" instead of "spanning" to emphasize encompassing the times

assessing changes from pre to post intervention

Focuses on change or transformation before and after the event, typically an intervention.

evaluating from baseline to follow-up

Emphasizes assessment from an initial state (baseline) to a subsequent evaluation (follow-up).

longitudinal assessment

Replaces the entire phrase with a single term, indicating observation over an extended time.

before, during, and after

Adds an intermediate stage ("during") to consider what happens in the middle of the time frame.

initial and subsequent

Focuses on the order of events (initial and subsequent) without specifying what caused the change.

FAQs

How can I use "both pre and post" in a sentence?

You can use "both pre and post" to describe actions or states occurring before and after a specific event. For example, "The data included both pre and post-intervention measurements." It's frequently seen in academic and scientific writing.

What phrases are similar to "both pre and post"?

Similar phrases include "before and after", "spanning the period before and after", and "encompassing pre-event and post-event periods".

Is it always necessary to use "both" with "pre and post"?

While "both pre and post" emphasizes that you're considering conditions on either side of an event, it's not always necessary. If the context makes it clear you're looking at changes across the event, you might simply say "pre and post intervention results".

What's the difference between "both pre and post" and "before and after"?

While both phrases indicate a time span on either side of an event, "both pre and post" is often used in more formal or technical contexts. "Before and after" is more commonly used in general conversation or less formal writing.