Page:A Desk-Book of Errors in English.djvu/192  From Wikisource
Jump to: navigation, search This page has been validated. A
Desk-Book of  sick man, but is pretty sure to recover, being at
all times pretty fortunate."  prevail: In the sense of
"triumph," this word is usually followed by the prepositions
over or against; as, "We have prevailed over our enemies"; "None
can prevail against us." In the sense of "to have effectual
influence," follow it with on, upon or with; as, "He prevailed
on me to go." In the sense "to have general vogue, currency or
acceptance," it should be followed by through or throughout; as,
"Mohammedanism prevails throughout Northern Africa."  preventive
is preferable to preventative, which is a corruption of the
former, has been described as a "barbarism," and is said to
stamp any one using it as lacking in common education.
previous: In higher literature, the adverbial use of previous
with to, in the sense of "prior to" is not favored. The adverb
previously or the expression prior to