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Justyna Jupowicz-Kozak

CEO of Professional Science Editing for Scientists @ prosciediting.com

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prior became

Grammar usage guide and real-world examples

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "prior became" is not correct in standard written English.
It is not a commonly used expression and may lead to confusion without proper context. Example: "Before the changes were implemented, the situation prior became more complicated than expected."

⚠ May contain grammatical issues

News & Media

Science

Wiki

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

3 human-written examples

Alexander Prior, 19 – in 2007, British-born Prior became the youngest ever conductor of the National Symphony Orchestra at the Barbican in London and last year completed a term as an assistant conductor for the Seattle Symphony Orchestra.

In making 86 from 131 balls, Prior became the third man to pass 4,000 Test runs as England's wicketkeeper, following Alan Knott and Alec Stewart, who holds the record having scored 4,540 of his 8,463 runs in the matches in which he wore two different types of gloves.

But Steve Bartman interfered with a foul ball in Game 6 of the National League Championship Series against the Florida Marlins, and Wood lost Game 7. Soon after, Wood and Prior became the symbols for overworked arms, and the Cubs' streak without a championship continued.

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

57 human-written examples

In particular, the ratio between the major and minor axes of both the HCRB and MSE ellipses decreases when the the prior becomes less informative.

Secondly, choose the separable double exponential probability density [27] as the prior of f: p ( f ) ∝ exp - α ∑ j | f j |, (26). it is then easy to see that the MAP estimation with this prior becomes f ^ = arg max f { p ( f | g ) } = arg min f { - ln p ( f | g ) } = arg min f { J ( f ) } (27).

(A11) Again, when β u | v, k →∞ and ν u | v, k →∞, the prior becomes non-informative, and MAP and ML estimates are equal.

Note that if we replace by in the slab component, the prior becomes a simple generalization of the classical spike and slab prior (George and McCulloch, 1997) for group selection.

The MAP estimates are obtained by taking the derivative of Equation (A8) in relation to each parameter, which leads to the estimates (A9) (A10) When β u | v, k →∞, the prior becomes non-informative; that is, the MAP and maximum likelihood (ML) estimates are equal.

As the sample size increases, the FC of the credible intervals based on the four priors becomes more similar.

For each type of point estimator considered here, in terms of RMSE the reference priors π r 1, π r 2, and π r 3 provide qualitatively similar results, with π r 1 and π r 3 being slightly better for smaller values of p and π r 2 being slightly better for larger values of p. In addition, the difference in performance of the three reference priors becomes smaller as the sample size increases.

Because the fMRI priors become part of the generative model, we use the model evidence to compare (i) multiple versus single, (ii) valid versus invalid, (iii) binary versus continuous, and (iv) variance versus covariance fMRI priors.

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Expert writing Tips

Best practice

When describing past transformations or states, consider using more common and grammatically sound alternatives such as "previously turned", "had become", or "used to be" to ensure clarity and accuracy.

Common error

Avoid directly pairing "prior" with "became" as it creates an awkward and grammatically incorrect construction. Instead, rephrase using alternatives that clearly indicate the sequence of events or the previous state.

Antonio Rotolo, PhD - Digital Humanist | Computational Linguist | CEO @Ludwig.guru

Antonio Rotolo, PhD

Digital Humanist | Computational Linguist | CEO @Ludwig.guru

Source & Trust

81%

Authority and reliability

1.8/5

Expert rating

Real-world application tested

Linguistic Context

The phrase "prior became" functions as an attempt to describe a transformation or change of state that occurred at an earlier time. However, Ludwig AI indicates that this construction is grammatically incorrect and not commonly used in standard English.

Expression frequency: Rare

Frequent in

Science

33%

News & Media

33%

Wiki

33%

Less common in

Formal & Business

0%

Encyclopedias

0%

Reference

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

The phrase "prior became" attempts to describe a past transition, but it is considered grammatically incorrect. Ludwig AI suggests opting for alternatives like "previously turned", "had become", or "used to be" for improved clarity and grammatical soundness. While potentially understandable in informal settings, it's not appropriate for formal or academic writing. It appears with similar frequency in contexts such as science, news and media and wiki, but this due to its low overall frequency should not be considered representative. Stick to established grammatical structures when expressing transformations or past states to maintain professionalism and precision.

FAQs

How can I correctly use "prior" in a sentence describing a change?

Instead of saying "prior became", try using phrases like "previously turned", "had become", or "used to be" depending on the intended meaning and context.

What's wrong with the phrase "prior became"?

The phrase "prior became" is not standard English. "Prior" is an adjective indicating something earlier in time, while "became" is a verb indicating a change of state. The construction is grammatically awkward and not commonly used. See Ludwig AI analysis for further details.

Which is a better way to say "prior became independent"?

Replace "prior became independent" with "previously turned independent", "had become independent", or "was previously independent" for clarity and grammatical correctness.

Are there instances where "prior became" might be acceptable?

While not grammatically sound, "prior became" may appear in informal contexts or non-standard writing. However, for professional or academic writing, it's best to use alternative constructions such as "previously turned" or "had become".

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Source & Trust

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Authority and reliability

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Expert rating

Real-world application tested

Most frequent sentences: