'Before' / 'after' without a reference event
Sequence words that assume a shared event the reader may not know about.
What ProfText flags
Sequence reference without clear event definition.
How to fix it
Name the event: 'after Phase 2 deployment (March 2025)'.
Why this matters
'Before the merger', 'after the change' work when the event is fresh and shared; they fail when the document outlives the moment or is read by audiences unaware of the referent. Name the event explicitly ('before the 2024 ERP migration') or give a date.
Languages
Detection pattern
\b(before|after|prior\s+to|following)\s+(this|that|the\s+change|the\s+update|implementation)\b
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