preliminary to proceeding

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "preliminary to proceeding" is correct and usable in written English.
It can be used to indicate that something is a necessary step or condition that must be fulfilled before moving forward with a process or action. Example: "The approval of the budget is preliminary to proceeding with the project."

✓ Grammatically correct

Science

News & Media

Formal & Business

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

60 human-written examples

What makes it even worse is that the filibuster does not need to involve actual debate on the measure but can be accomplished by almost any tactic that plays for time, including objecting to the preliminary motion to proceed to the measure.

Huffington Post

Checking consistency is a preliminary step before proceeding to the network meta-analysis.

British Medical Journal

The first strategy required both samples to pass the preliminary screening for normality to proceed with the two-sample t test; otherwise, we used Mann-Whitney's U test.

BMC Medical Research Methodology

Following preliminary enquiries he decided not to proceed".

Independent

GE Energy and Bechtel Corp have signed an agreement with Cinergy/PSI to proceed with preliminary engineering and design work for a proposed 600 MW power plant in Indiana that will use integrated gasification combined-cycle (IGCC) technology.

Pump Industry Analyst

If a court granted preliminary approval for a case to proceed, lawyers representing this "class" would be able to demand vast amounts of internal information to see whether managers had ever spoken misleadingly about the factors affecting the share price.

The Economist

All course work must be completed and language requirements met in order to be able to proceed with preliminary exams.

Duke University

Based on this preliminary experiment, it was decided to proceed with the highest rate of phosphorous acid tested in the experiment (treatments 3 8), to maximise the acid dose absorbed by the foliage.

New Zealand Journal of Forestry Science

Of the twenty-six prentriesry entries, fifteen were selected to proceed to the final of the ABU Radio Song Festival.

Wikipedia

Our article [ 1] presents our first investigations of dabigatran reversal, including the preliminary dose-finding work required to proceed with in vivo studies.

Critical Care

issue notices to proceed with a preliminary design and any work related to preliminary design, to the extent that those actions do not limit any reasonable range of alternatives.

Cornell University

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

When using the phrase "preliminary to proceeding", ensure that the preliminary action is clearly defined and understood by the audience to avoid ambiguity.

Common error

Avoid using "preliminary to proceeding" without specifying what the preliminary action entails. Vague references can confuse readers and undermine the effectiveness of your message.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "preliminary to proceeding" functions as a prepositional phrase, indicating that something must occur as an initial step or condition before another action can begin. It sets a chronological order, emphasizing the necessity of the first action for the subsequent one. According to Ludwig, it is a usable phrase.

Expression frequency: Missing

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Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, "preliminary to proceeding" is a grammatically correct prepositional phrase used to indicate that an initial action is required before another can begin. According to Ludwig, the phrase is usable, though examples of it are rare. Alternative ways to convey the same idea include phrases like "prior to proceeding" or "before moving forward", but it's critical to ensure that the "preliminary" action is clearly defined to avoid vagueness and confusion. The phrase is suitable for formal or scientific contexts where precision is important.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

prior to continuing

Emphasizes the temporal sequence, focusing on what comes before the continuation of something.

before moving forward

Highlights the act of progressing and the condition that must be met beforehand.

as a precursor to continuing

Formal language that explicitly states the necessary initial step.

in advance of proceeding

Highlights the timing aspect, emphasizing doing something ahead of time.

before going ahead

A more informal way to indicate the need for a preliminary step.

initial to continuing

Suggests that a process or action has to start before it can go any further.

prerequisite to proceeding

Emphasizes that something is absolutely required before moving forward.

as an initial step to proceeding

Explicitly identifies the action as the very first action to continue with the process.

preparatory to proceeding

Highlights the act of preparing for the process ahead.

as a lead-in to proceeding

Suggests a step that smoothly transitions into the next phase.

FAQs

How can I use "preliminary to proceeding" in a sentence?

The phrase "preliminary to proceeding" indicates a necessary first step. For example: "The budget approval is "preliminary to proceeding" with the project."

What is a more common alternative to "preliminary to proceeding"?

A more common alternative would be "prior to proceeding" or "before proceeding". Both convey a similar meaning with potentially broader understanding.

Is "preliminary to proceeding" formal or informal?

The phrase is relatively formal. In more informal contexts, consider alternatives like "before starting" or "before beginning".

What's the difference between "preliminary to proceeding" and "in preparation for proceeding"?

While both indicate actions done beforehand, "preliminary to proceeding" emphasizes a necessary initial step. Whereas "in preparation for proceeding"/"in preparation for proceeding" focuses more on the act of getting ready or making ready for the action.