for two steps prior

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "for two steps prior" is correct and usable in written English.
It can be used when referring to actions or events that occurred two steps before a current point in a process or sequence. Example: "To understand the outcome, we need to analyze the decisions made for two steps prior in the process."

✓ Grammatically correct

Science

News & Media

Wiki

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

1 human-written examples

Three-dimensional motion capture, ground reaction force and center of pressure (COP) data were collected for two steps prior, the disturbed step and three steps after the disturbance.

Journal of Biomechanics

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

59 human-written examples

The Larry Brown improvement program, as practiced in his eight prior N.B.A. coaching stops, calls for two steps: teaching and purging.

The New York Times - Sports

All samples were pipetted in duplicates, whilst all primers were tested for their efficiency prior to analysis by conducting standard curves for four step template dilutions.

European Journal of Plant Pathology

The first five steps concern prior estimates.

Journal of Inequalities and Applications

Conceivability arguments for haecceitism have two steps.

SEP

He became president on 21 March 2009 during a political crisis, having held the office of Mayor of Antananarivo for one year prior, and stepped down on 25 January 2014 following internationally recognized general elections held in 2013.

Wikipedia

Repeat these two steps for both ends.

WikiHow

Repeat these two steps for both elbows.

WikiHow

He defined Retinex model in more general two steps: first, looking for a filtered gradient to solve the optimazation problem consisting of sparsity prior and quadratic fidelity prior of the reflectance; second, finding a reflectance whose actual gradient comes close.

EURASIP Journal on Wireless Communications and Networking

To do so just follow the palm tree-drawing steps prior to this one.

WikiHow

For we could then still arrive in a motivated way at our prior probabilities, by proceeding in two steps, namely, by first applying the Principle of Indifference to the partitions separately, thereby possibly obtaining different assignments of priors, and by then taking a weighted average of the thus obtained priors, where the weights, too, are to depend on explanatory considerations.

SEP

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

When describing a process or experiment, use "for two steps prior" to clearly indicate which earlier stages influence the current one. This provides context and enhances clarity.

Common error

Avoid using "for two steps earlier" interchangeably with "for two steps prior" in contexts where a specific sequence is crucial. "Prior" emphasizes order, while "earlier" may only indicate a point in time.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "for two steps prior" primarily functions as a prepositional phrase modifying a verb or noun. It indicates a specific point in a sequence that precedes the current action or state. Ludwig's examples demonstrate its use in describing procedures and analyzing events in context.

Expression frequency: Uncommon

Frequent in

Science

35%

News & Media

33%

Wiki

17%

Less common in

Formal & Business

5%

Encyclopedias

5%

Social Media

5%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

The phrase "for two steps prior" is a grammatically sound prepositional phrase used to indicate actions or events that occurred two steps before a current point in a process or sequence. As Ludwig AI confirms, the phrase is correct and usable in written English. It's most commonly found in scientific, news, and wiki contexts, reflecting its role in providing context and clarifying sequential relationships. While not extremely common, the phrase provides a specific and precise way to reference earlier stages, enhancing clarity in descriptions and analyses. Alternatives include "two previous steps" or "two steps earlier", depending on the desired emphasis.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

two previous steps

Focuses on the sequential order and immediate precedence.

in the two preceding steps

Emphasizes the position in a series of events.

two steps earlier

Highlights the temporal aspect of the sequence.

two steps before

A more direct and simple way to indicate precedence.

two steps back

Indicates movement in a sequence or process.

the two steps beforehand

Uses "beforehand" to specify the prior occurrence.

the two prior actions

Substitutes "actions" for "steps" to broaden the context.

the two former steps

Replaces "prior" with "former" to denote previous steps.

the two initial steps

Suggests the beginning or initial phase of a process.

the two antecedent steps

Uses a more formal term, "antecedent", to refer to prior steps.

FAQs

How can I use "for two steps prior" in a sentence?

You can use "for two steps prior" to specify a point in a process or sequence that occurred two steps before the current one. For instance, "To understand the final result, consider the conditions "two previous steps"."

What are some alternatives to saying "for two steps prior"?

Alternatives include phrases like "two previous steps", "two steps earlier", or "in the two preceding steps". The choice depends on the desired emphasis.

Is it correct to say "two steps prior" instead of "for two steps prior"?

While "two steps prior" might be understood, including "for" provides a more grammatically complete and clear prepositional phrase, especially in formal writing.

What is the difference between "for two steps prior" and "two steps ago"?

"For two steps prior" is more specific to a sequence of actions or steps within a defined process. "Two steps ago" is a more general temporal reference, which might not directly relate to sequential steps.