the preceding message

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "the preceding message" is correct and usable in written English.
It can be used to refer to a message that was sent or mentioned earlier in a conversation or correspondence. Example: "Please refer to the preceding message for the details regarding the meeting schedule."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Science

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

1 human-written examples

A couple of facts can be surmised from the preceding message.

The New York Times

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

58 human-written examples

(The "he" is not identified, but Mrs. Barker, Ms. Hatchel's grandmother, believes it's obvious from the preceding messages that the man is Mr. Scheetz).

The New York Times

"Our platform does this by analyzing the linguistic context in which the sticker is used — so, for instance, when you send a kissy emoji our sentiment analysis engine looks at your preceding messages to build up an understanding of the motivations that culminated in you sending that kissy emoji.

TechCrunch

Moby's heavy use of DAT and rock-show staging was met by sneers from newsgroups (email lists that preceded message boards, most notably one called alt.rave), as well as fellow headliners Aphex Twin and Vapourspace, both of whom prided themselves on performing the music fully live.

Vice

Perhaps these act as a "backup" for cases where translation precedes message cleavage.

BMC Genomics

When a Western diplomat complained to his service provider that his e-mail had failed for a few days and he wanted back messages, he received every message from the preceding two years.

The New York Times

Parker's rhetorical approach echoed that of Senator Bernie Sanders, the independent Vermont senator who had appeared on the programme in the preceding interview to repeat his message against the "same old, same old" procession of politics in Washington.

The Guardian

Facebook provides only messages from the preceding month using their search API, while the search API of Google+ obtains messages dating back to its establishment in 2011.

Drug Safety

And prosecutors contended that, in light of the long preceding text message conversation, the ping of the incoming message distracted her so that she did not notice Ms. McBryde's disabled car.

The New York Times - Tech

The sensor model in (19) is applied (NORMAL_PDF) to each preceding state, multiplied with the transition probability connecting the current state with the preceding state, and then multiplied with the message that corresponds to the preceding state.

EURASIP Journal on Advances in Signal Processing

Conjunctions tie a message to the immediate context of the preceding clause.

Functional Linguistics

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Use "the preceding message" to clearly refer back to a specific communication that has already been mentioned in the text or conversation. This ensures clarity and avoids ambiguity.

Common error

Avoid using "the preceding message" if it is unclear which message you are referring to. If there are multiple messages, specify the exact message or use a more precise reference.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "the preceding message" functions as a determiner phrase identifying a specific message that has been mentioned earlier. According to Ludwig, this is a grammatically correct and usable phrase. It serves to create cohesion and clarity in communication.

Expression frequency: Common

Frequent in

News & Media

38%

Science

31%

Formal & Business

10%

Less common in

Wiki

7%

Encyclopedias

7%

Reference

7%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, "the preceding message" is a grammatically sound and commonly used phrase that effectively references a previously mentioned communication. As Ludwig AI indicates, the phrase is perfectly valid for use in writing. It finds its application across diverse contexts like news, science and business, suggesting its versatility in both formal and informal settings. To enhance clarity, it's crucial to ensure the reference is unambiguous. Alternatives like "the prior message" or "the earlier message" offer similar meaning. It's important to consider the message's register; while "the preceding message" maintains a neutral tone, choosing a different term can modify formality. Usage patterns highlight frequent appearance in News & Media and Science related contexts.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

the prior message

Uses "prior" instead of "preceding", indicating something that came before.

the earlier message

Replaces "preceding" with "earlier", conveying the same temporal relationship.

the previous message

Uses "previous" in place of "preceding", indicating the immediately prior communication.

the foregoing message

Substitutes "preceding" with the more formal "foregoing".

the message before

Simplifies the structure to "message before", maintaining the reference to sequence.

the message mentioned above

Specifies that the message was mentioned earlier in the text or conversation.

the aforementioned message

Uses "aforementioned" to refer to a message that has already been spoken about.

the message in question

Refers to the message currently being discussed.

the relevant message

Indicates that the message is important or connected to the current topic.

the subject message

Implies that the message is the focus of attention or analysis.

FAQs

How can I use "the preceding message" in a sentence?

You can use "the preceding message" to refer to something already mentioned, for example: "Please review "the preceding message" for further instructions."

What's a more formal alternative to "the preceding message"?

A more formal alternative is "the foregoing message", although it's less common.

Is "the preceding message" the same as "the previous message"?

Yes, "the previous message" and "the preceding message" are largely interchangeable and mean the message that came immediately before.

When should I use "the preceding message" instead of just "the message"?

Use "the preceding message" when there's a need to specifically distinguish it from other messages that might be under consideration, ensuring no confusion arises.