the previous section

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "the previous section" is correct and usable in written English.
You can use this phrase to refer to the section of a document or book that has just been discussed, or to refer to a section that appears earlier than the current one. For example, "In the previous section, we discussed the policies for dealing with customer complaints."

✓ Grammatically correct

Science

Academia

News & Media

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

60 human-written examples

I mentioned this in the previous section.

Cornell University

** View the works cited in the previous section.

Princeton University

In the previous section, we found when is real.

Stanford University

Take the joke that you wrote in the previous section and take it apart.

The Guardian - Books

The previous section of woods had included a lot of scraggly undergrowth.

The New York Times - Arts

In the previous section we described the basics for conducting an experiment.

Harvard Business Review

discussed in the previous section.

Life Sciences, Society and Policy

For example, 5% - 7% over 10 years, creating the scenario from the previous section.

Forbes

It corresponds to the parabolic solution from the previous section.

Journal of the European Optical Society-Rapid Publications

The GARX models in the previous section show that: 1.

Pacific Journal of Mathematics for Industry

We introduced the street network model in the previous section.

Complex & Intelligent Systems

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

When referring back to a specific section, ensure the section title or a key concept from that section is mentioned to provide context for the reader.

Common error

Avoid using "the previous section" without briefly reminding the reader of the section's content. This prevents readers from having to scroll back to understand the reference.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "the previous section" functions as a deictic reference, specifically an anaphoric reference, pointing back to a segment of text that has already been presented. According to Ludwig AI, this phrase is correct and usable in written English.

Expression frequency: Very common

Frequent in

Science

38%

Academia

15%

News & Media

12%

Less common in

Formal & Business

3%

Encyclopedias

0%

Wiki

2%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, "the previous section" is a very common and grammatically correct phrase used to refer to an earlier part of a document. As confirmed by Ludwig AI, it's a reliable way to connect ideas and maintain coherence. While its register is generally neutral, it appears most frequently in scientific and academic contexts. For clarity, consider briefly reminding the reader of the section's content when using this phrase. Alternatives such as "the preceding section" or "as discussed earlier" can also be used depending on the specific context.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

the preceding section

Uses a synonym ('preceding') to indicate what comes before.

the last section

Refers to the immediately preceding section.

the prior section

Replaces 'previous' with 'prior', a synonym.

the section above

Indicates location of the section in the document.

the earlier section

Indicates a section that came at a prior time in the written piece.

the foregoing section

Uses a more formal synonym 'foregoing'.

previously discussed

Emphasizes the action of discussing something before.

as discussed earlier

Shifts focus from the section itself to the act of discussing it.

in the prior chapter

Changes 'section' to 'chapter', applicable in longer works.

that which was covered earlier

A longer, more descriptive way to refer to previous material.

FAQs

How can I use "the previous section" in a sentence?

You can use "the previous section" to refer back to information already discussed, for example, "As shown in "the previous section", these results indicate a strong correlation."

What are some alternatives to saying "the previous section"?

Alternatives include "the preceding section", "the prior section", or "as discussed earlier", depending on the specific context and desired level of formality.

Is it always clear what "the previous section" refers to?

While generally clear, it's best practice to provide a brief reminder of the section's topic, ensuring readers don't need to search for the reference.

Can "the previous section" be used to refer to a section several pages back?

While technically possible, it's better to use more specific references (e.g., "as detailed in Section 3.2") if the section isn't immediately preceding.