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Elizabeth Cummings wonders: <<I'm writing a description of a report. When
the application generates this report, the report provides data based on
work done the previous day (e.g., If run on Monday, the report will show
data from Sunday.). It's been recommended that I use "preceding" day to
"previous" day, but no reason has been given. I also began thinking about
"prior" day.>>
Although the three words are effectively synonymous in casual use,
"preceding" is probably the best of the three. Why? In current usage,
"previous" or "prior" might easily be taken to mean "the last time you used
the report software" rather than referring to the preceding day. I'm not
sure this is a huge point, but it might become significant if the rest of
the context is at all unclear. I suspect that any of the three choices would
be suitable if you add "calendar day" (e.g., the previous calendar day) to
indicate clearly that it's the calendar day you're referring to.
--Geoff Hart, FERIC, Pointe-Claire, Quebec
geoff-h -at- mtl -dot- feric -dot- ca
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"The problem with defending the purity of the English language is that
English is about as pure as a cribhouse whore. We don't just borrow words;
on occasion, English has pursued other languages down alleyways to beat them
unconscious and rifle their pockets for new vocabulary."-- James D. Nicoll
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