well previously

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "well previously" is not correct and does not convey a clear meaning in written English.
It may be intended to refer to something that was done or known in the past, but the combination of "well" and "previously" is awkward and unclear. Example: "The project was well previously organized, but now it needs restructuring."

⚠ May contain grammatical issues

Science

News & Media

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

22 human-written examples

He remembered that he had not fared well previously against Wakefield, and he does not particularly enjoy facing knuckleball pitchers.

The New York Times - Sports

Her co-star Ms. Williams was game, and Mr. Rickson said he was comfortable with the idea because he had worked well previously with both actresses.

The New York Times

When you have ascertained that the Amblongusses are quite soft, take them out, and place them in a wide pan, taking care to shake them well previously.

The New York Times

Well, previously, oil prices would touch off wage-price inflation spirals that would ultimately have to be wrung out of the economy by Fed-induced recessions, which were no fun at all.

The Economist

"He joined Forest Green this summer, where he had done well previously, but for whatever reason it hasn't worked out.

BBC

If a request were to be denied in the middle of an active session, when everything was working well previously, the user would have a bad experience.

Journal of Cloud Computing

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

38 human-written examples

The second challenge is that, when assessing requests, funding agencies look at how well previously-funded programmes met their objectives.

Human Resources for Health

Wells previously went six starts without winning near the end of the 1997 season.

The New York Times - Sports

This can be elucidated as potential-well previously formed, experiences increment when diameter of implanted CNT is of higher value.

Journal of Theoretical and Applied Physics

Therefore, in order to be comparable to other renewable resources or geothermal systems, the system needs to develop existing wells, previously abandoned.

Energy Conversion and Management

RMECs were grown on 1 cm wells previously labelled with traced lines in order to photograph the same regions.

Plosone

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

When aiming for clarity, reordering the phrase to "previously well" improves readability and grammatical correctness.

Common error

Avoid using "well previously" in formal writing; it can sound unnatural. Instead, opt for "previously well" or "well in the past" for better clarity.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "well previously" attempts to combine an adverb of manner ("well") with an adverb of time ("previously"). This combination is generally considered grammatically awkward and doesn't follow standard English syntax. As pointed out by Ludwig, it may be intended to refer to something done or known in the past, but the word order is unconventional.

Expression frequency: Common

Frequent in

Science

40%

News & Media

30%

Formal & Business

10%

Less common in

Wiki

10%

Encyclopedias

5%

Reference

5%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, while the phrase "well previously" appears in various contexts, it's generally considered grammatically incorrect and stylistically awkward. As Ludwig AI points out, the combination of "well" and "previously" is not standard English, leading to potential ambiguity. For clearer and more effective communication, consider alternatives like "previously well" or "well in the past". These options offer improved readability and align better with established grammatical conventions. Although examples are relatively frequent, that does not equal correctness. It's a stylistic choice to avoid in favor of more conventional phrasing.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

previously well

Reorders the words for better grammatical flow, emphasizing the state of being "well" in the past.

formerly well

Uses "formerly" to indicate a past state of being "well".

well in the past

Emphasizes the temporal aspect of the action, highlighting its completion before the present moment.

adequately before

Substitutes "well" with "adequately" to express a sufficient level achieved earlier.

satisfactorily in the past

Replaces "well" with "satisfactorily" to indicate a satisfying outcome in a prior time.

sufficiently prior

Uses "sufficiently" to convey an adequate level reached at an earlier time.

properly before

Emphasizes the correctness of a past action by using "properly".

effectively in the past

Indicates that something was done efficiently or successfully at an earlier time.

successfully earlier

Highlights the successful completion of an action at a previous time.

competently in the past

Substitutes "well" with "competently" to indicate a skillful performance in the past.

FAQs

How can I rewrite "well previously" to improve clarity?

Consider using alternatives such as "previously well" or "well in the past" for greater clarity and grammatical correctness.

Is "well previously" grammatically correct?

No, "well previously" is generally considered grammatically awkward. It's better to use "previously well" or a similar phrasing.

In what contexts might I encounter the phrase "well previously"?

While the phrase might appear in various texts, including news and scientific articles, it's often due to less rigorous editing rather than intentional stylistic choice. Be mindful when encountering such phrases.

What's the difference between "well previously" and "previously well"?

"Well previously" is awkward and not standard English. "Previously well" is grammatically sound, indicating something was in good condition or done effectively before.