prior two

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "prior two" is not correct in standard written English.
It seems to be an incomplete expression and lacks clarity without additional context. Example: "Please refer to the prior two sections for more information."

⚠ May contain grammatical issues

News & Media

Science

Sports

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

58 human-written examples

Zach Randolph, who was held out of the Knicks' prior two games despite being healthy, returned to the lineup and finished with 17 points.

The New York Times - Sports

That compares with 20percentand25percentcent in the prior two surveys.

The New York Times

"In a relative scope the prior two were as serious, and we came through those.

The New York Times - Arts

The Australian bank took no action after raising rates in the prior two months.

The New York Times

In 1985, about 20percentt of women were estimated to have had mammograms in the prior two years.

The New York Times

A third report showed that personal incomes fell 0.1percentt in November, matching decreases of the prior two months.

The New York Times

"Looking back, we were unprepared for the complexities," Almon said this summer, reflecting on the prior two years.

The New York Times - Magazine

Personal computer prices fell 2.6percentt in November after falling 1.5percentt in each of the prior two months.

The New York Times

Only days prior, two Muslim mothers pushing strollers were verbally and physically attacked by a woman in Brooklyn.

The Guardian

Williams had nine assists by halftime, more than his prior two games combined.

The New York Times - Sports

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

1 human-written examples

Four years later, with Wood and Mark Prior, two twentysomething pitchers, the Cubs came within five outs of getting to the World Series.

The New York Times - Sports

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

When writing formally, prefer "previous two" or "last two" over "prior two" for better grammatical acceptance.

Common error

Avoid using "prior two" in formal writing; while understandable, it is less preferred than alternatives such as "previous two" or "last two". Stick to the standard accepted terms to maintain professionalism and clarity.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "prior two" functions as a determiner phrase specifying a quantity and order. It indicates the two entities or events that immediately precede a given point in a sequence. As Ludwig AI suggests, it's not the most grammatically sound choice.

Expression frequency: Very common

Frequent in

News & Media

51%

Science

31%

Sports

5%

Less common in

Wiki

2%

Formal & Business

0%

Reference

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, while the phrase "prior two" is widely used, Ludwig AI indicates it's not grammatically ideal and "previous two" or "last two" are better alternatives in formal contexts. It appears across various sources, particularly in news, science and sports. When aiming for standard written English, opting for its more accepted alternatives will result in clearer and more grammatically sound communication.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

previous two

Replaces "prior" with "previous", a more standard and grammatically preferred term to indicate sequence.

last two

Uses "last" instead of "prior", indicating the two most recent items or events.

preceding two

Employs "preceding" as a more formal synonym for "prior", emphasizing the order of occurrence.

two earlier

Rearranges the words to highlight the temporal aspect; less common but conveys the same meaning.

aforementioned two

Refers back to two items already mentioned, useful in formal writing to avoid repetition.

two before

A more colloquial way to indicate the two immediately preceding items or events.

two foregoing

Similar to "preceding two", but with a more archaic tone.

two former

Indicates the two that came before, emphasizing their past status.

the two previous

Adds "the" for specificity, slightly altering the emphasis.

immediately preceding two

Adds emphasis to the immediacy of the sequence.

FAQs

What's a better alternative to "prior two" in formal writing?

In formal writing, it's generally better to use "previous two" or "last two" instead of "prior two". These alternatives are more widely accepted and considered grammatically correct.

Is "prior two" grammatically correct?

While understandable, "prior two" is not the most grammatically sound choice. Standard written English favors alternatives like "previous two".

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

While it appears frequently, consider replacing "prior two" with "previous two" for better clarity. For example, instead of "Refer to the prior two chapters", use "Refer to the previous two chapters".

What's the difference between "prior two" and "last two"?

"Prior two" and "last two" both refer to the two preceding items or events, but "last two" is generally more common and considered more natural in everyday language.