prior when

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "prior when" is not correct and not usable in written English.
It seems to be an incorrect combination of words that does not convey a clear meaning. Example: "Prior when I lived in New York, I had a different perspective on life."

⚠ May contain grammatical issues

News & Media

Science

Wiki

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

50 human-written examples

See, I like a few scenes prior, when Don kisses her hand.

The New York Times

Since the curfew was lifted, business has started to pick up compared to the weekends prior, when Da Mimmo had almost "no business", according to Cricchio.

The Guardian - Business

They pilloried the group before the 2008 election (and several elections prior) when names like Mickey Mouse, Donald Duck and Mary Poppins showed up on a handful of voter registration forms collected by Acorn.

The Guardian - Opinion

In his final Dodgers season, Martin underwent hip surgery, and put up a slash-line.248/.347/.332 over 97 games, nearly identical totals to the year prior when he played in 143 games.

The Guardian - Sport

"So we do the pillbox hats on the flight attendants, and there's a bit of an element of what it was like in the days prior when people got dressed up to fly".

The New York Times

The ownership of e-readers doubled from six months prior when it was 6percentt.

TechCrunch

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

10 human-written examples

Experiments conducted on various datasets of Middlebury site verify the effectiveness of the proposed data term, IGMRF, and sparsity priors when used in an energy minimization framework.

IPSJ Transactions on Computer Vision and Applications

These substitution rates were subsequently employed as evolutionary rate priors when determining the approximate age of the OW-NW begomovirus split using BEAST.

Plosone

Additionally, we include second derivatives of the non-uniform priors (when available) in the Hessian approximation.

Bioinformatics

In order to illustrate the use of mathematically informed priors when inferring model parameters we conducted two experiments.

BMC Systems Biology

Nonetheless, the free-energy will always encourage "valid" priors when they are present, at the expense of "invalid" priors (through the ARD behavior).

Human Brain Mapping

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

When indicating a sequence of events, replace "prior when" with more grammatically correct alternatives like "before" or "previously" to maintain clarity and professionalism.

Common error

Using "prior when" can confuse readers because it incorrectly combines an adjective indicating time with a conjunction introducing a clause. Opt for alternatives like "before" or "previously" to avoid grammatical errors.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "prior when" functions as a temporal connector, attempting to link a past event with a specific point in time. However, Ludwig AI indicates that this combination is grammatically incorrect, advising against its use in formal writing.

Expression frequency: Very common

Frequent in

News & Media

44%

Science

33%

Wiki

9%

Less common in

Formal & Business

2%

Encyclopedias

0%

Social Media

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, while the phrase "prior when" appears with some frequency across different types of online content, Ludwig AI identifies it as grammatically incorrect. Its intended function is to indicate a temporal sequence, but it's not recommended for formal writing. As shown through examples, sources such as Huffington Post, Vice and TechCrunch use it but it's often advisable to replace it with grammatically correct alternatives like "before", "previously", or a more explicit rephrasing of the sentence in order to express the temporal relation more clearly. Always consider context and aim for clarity when conveying time-related information. Opting for more precise language enhances the professionalism and understandability of your writing.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

the time before

This alternative clearly states the time preceding a particular event.

before that time

This alternative replaces "prior when" with a more explicit and grammatically correct phrase indicating a time preceding a specific event.

before this

A concise alternative indicating something happened earlier.

in the period before

This alternative emphasizes the duration leading up to the event, providing a clearer temporal context.

up until then

This suggests a duration of time leading to a specific moment.

previously, at the time

This separates the temporal aspect into two parts, indicating an action done before and then specifying when.

earlier, at the point

This alternative offers a simpler and more direct way to express the sequence of events.

in advance of

Formal and emphasizes preparation or anticipation.

in the days leading up to

This alternative focuses on the events leading directly to a particular moment.

antecedent to

A more formal way to say "before", often used in academic or legal contexts.

FAQs

How can I rephrase "prior when" to improve clarity?

Instead of "prior when", use clearer alternatives such as "before", "previously", or "before that time" to ensure your writing is grammatically correct and easily understood.

Is "prior when" grammatically correct?

No, "prior when" is not grammatically correct. It's better to use alternatives like "before" or "previously" to maintain grammatical accuracy.

What's the difference between "prior when" and "before"?

"Prior when" is not a standard or grammatically correct construction. "Before" is a preposition, conjunction, or adverb that clearly indicates a time preceding an event or action, making it a more appropriate choice.

When is it appropriate to use "prior when"?

It's generally not appropriate to use "prior when" in formal writing. Opt for grammatically correct alternatives like "before" or rephrase the sentence to use "previously" for better clarity and correctness.