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Justyna Jupowicz-Kozak
CEO of Professional Science Editing for Scientists @ prosciediting.com
prior because
Grammar usage guide and real-world examplesUSAGE SUMMARY
The phrase "prior because" is not correct and does not convey a clear meaning in written English.
It is unclear when or how to use it, as it lacks context and does not form a coherent expression. Example: "The decision was made prior because of the urgency of the situation."
⚠ May contain grammatical issues
News & Media
Science
Alternative expressions(6)
Table of contents
Usage summary
Human-verified examples
Expert writing tips
Linguistic context
Ludwig's wrap-up
Alternative expressions
FAQs
Human-verified examples from authoritative sources
Exact Expressions
23 human-written examples
Before these experiments were carried out, should these results have been assigned a low prior (because no one would suppose that they themselves would do this) or a high prior (because we know that people accept authority)?
News & Media
On Orleans Avenue, this club would not have been recommended a few years prior because the Iberville Projects (council estates) were across the street.
News & Media
Major Peake will begin to breathe pure oxygen two hours prior, because the pressure inside their suits is lower than that of the ISS.
News & Media
I think we should – why don't we do that?" Trump continued: "We should take a drug test prior because I don't know what's going on with her, but at the beginning of her last debate she was all pumped up at the beginning and at the end it was, 'Huh, take me down.' She could barely reach her car.
News & Media
The term P(H) is called the prior because it reflects prior knowledge before the data are considered.
We chose to delegate this term to the prior because it does not involve any observation, and we introduced a detection likelihood based on observations.
Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources
Similar Expressions
37 human-written examples
The former two can be viewed as 'the priors' because they are known parameters, whereas the latter is a 'posterior' property requiring calculation.
Second, there is an unfortunate but prevailing concern about use informative priors because such are believed to drive results in the direction of the researchers' personal believe.
We used constant-population coalescent process priors because they are well established in the context of Influenza A phylogentic inference [ 9, 10, 32- 34].
Science
Literature information on parameter values was incorporated into the analysis as Bayesian priors because of the high noise level in the NMR data.
Science
"The waste uncovered at these sanitary districts occurred because, prior to these audits, there has been almost no public oversight of these operations," he said.
News & Media
Expert writing Tips
Best practice
Avoid using "prior because" in formal writing. Opt for clearer alternatives like "because of the preceding" or rephrase the sentence for better clarity.
Common error
Don't use "prior because" when a more direct causal conjunction like "because of the previous" or "due to the earlier" is more appropriate. This avoids awkward phrasing and enhances clarity.
Source & Trust
84%
Authority and reliability
2.8/5
Expert rating
Real-world application tested
Linguistic Context
The phrase "prior because" attempts to function as a causal connector, indicating a cause-and-effect relationship based on a preceding event. However, it's not a standard or grammatically correct construction. Ludwig AI indicates that this phrase is not correct.
Frequent in
News & Media
60%
Science
40%
Formal & Business
0%
Less common in
Academia
0%
Encyclopedias
0%
Wiki
0%
Ludwig's WRAP-UP
In summary, "prior because" is a grammatically questionable phrase used to indicate a causal relationship based on a preceding event. While Ludwig AI identifies it as incorrect, it appears with some frequency in News & Media and Science contexts. It's best to avoid this construction in formal writing, opting for clearer alternatives such as "because of the preceding" or restructuring the sentence. Despite its common occurrence, prioritizing grammatical correctness enhances clarity and credibility.
More alternative expressions(6)
Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:
because of the preceding
A more grammatically correct way to express causality related to something that came before.
because prior to
Reverses the order, emphasizing the temporal aspect before the cause.
since before
Uses "since" as a causal conjunction and "before" to indicate time.
due to earlier
Employs "due to" as a causal phrase with "earlier" specifying time.
considering what happened prior
Focuses on the consideration of past events as the reason for something.
as a result of previous
Uses a more formal phrase, indicating consequence and precedence.
given the events before
Highlights that something is happening based on what occurred previously.
on account of preceding
Emphasizes the reason based on what came before, using a more formal tone.
owing to foregoing
Similar to "due to", but uses "foregoing" to highlight the prior nature.
as a consequence of what preceded
A longer, more formal alternative that clearly indicates cause and effect based on a prior event.
FAQs
Why is "prior because" considered grammatically incorrect?
The phrase "prior because" is considered grammatically incorrect because it combines an adjective indicating time ("prior") with a conjunction of cause ("because") in a redundant and non-standard way. It's better to use phrases like "because of the preceding" or rephrase entirely for clarity.
What can I say instead of "prior because"?
You can use alternatives like "because of the preceding", "due to earlier", or "since before" depending on the context.
Is it ever acceptable to use "prior because"?
While technically incorrect, "prior because" may appear in informal speech or writing. However, for professional or academic contexts, it's advisable to use more grammatically sound alternatives to ensure clarity and credibility.
How does "prior because" differ from "because prior to"?
"Because prior to" is a more acceptable, though still somewhat awkward, construction that indicates causality based on something happening before. "Prior because" directly links the adjective "prior" with the conjunction "because", creating a less clear and grammatically unusual phrase. Rephrasing is generally recommended.
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Table of contents
Usage summary
Human-verified examples
Expert writing tips
Linguistic context
Ludwig's wrap-up
Alternative expressions
FAQs
Source & Trust
84%
Authority and reliability
2.8/5
Expert rating
Real-world application tested