| 词组 | previous to |
| 释义 | previous to Previous to, which is a compound preposition, has been objected to by numerous commentators. The earliest line of attack began with Baker 1770, who descries an adverbial use of previous in the compound. He considers this "not good English." Ayres 1881, Bierce 1909, and MacCracken & Sandison 1917 all take the same line; they recommend previously to instead. But early 20th-century commentary becomes diffuse: Utter 1916 seems to approve either construction; Vizetelly 1906 prefers prior to to previous to; Lincoln Library 1924 approves both previous to and previously to in certain circumstances; F. K. Ball 1923 does not like either one (or prior to either) and suggests using before in place of all of them. An editor working on Webster's Second noted on the slip containing Ball's opinion, "Advice not supported by good usage." Ball, however, seems to have anticipated many modern commentators. Partridge 1942 labels previous to "commercialese" and "verbose" and previously to "catachrestic." (He may have been unaware that earlier writers had prescribed previously to.) Janis 1984 and Copperud 1964, 1970, 1980 find previous to "pretentious." Cook 1985 and Little, Brown 1980, 1986 consider it wordy; Gowers in Fowler 1965 does not like it, but Fowler in the 1926 original found it idiomatic. Bernstein 1965 and Evans 1957 (who go unmentioned in Copperud's consensus) find previous to unobjectionable. The grammatical explanations that have been offered with these various prescriptions are considerably various themselves. What about real usage? Our files show previous to, though in use since the 18th century, not occurring so frequently as to warrant the number of attacks that have been made upon it. It is perfectly plain that most writers find before more useful most of the time. Previous to and other compound prepositions (see, for instance, preparatory 2 and prior to) are available for variety when you want them. • ... and have answered both previous to leaving Cephalonia —Lord Byron, letter, 4 Mar. 1824 • ... the three months previous to that my wages had gone into making the first payment on a second hand Overland car —Will Rogers, The Illiterate Digest, 1924 Previously to, incidentally, did have some actual use during the 19th century but seems to have had very little since, although Partridge found a 1935 example. Here are a pair from the 19th century: • I believe there must be a balance in my favour, as I did not draw a great deal previously to going —Lord Byron, letter, 1 May 1816 • ... business it was requisite he should settle in person, previously to his meditated departure from England —Charlotte Brontë, Jane Eyre, 1847 |
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