Use preface para la nota inicial que enmarca una obra antes del texto principal, sobre todo cuando procede del autor o editor.
Use preface para la nota inicial que enmarca una obra antes del texto principal, sobre todo cuando procede del autor o editor.
| Incorrect | Correct |
| The publisher wrote the preface to praise the author. | The publisher wrote the foreword to praise the author. |
| The preface shows where chapter three begins. | The table of contents shows where chapter three begins. |
| The author put the preface at the end of the book. | The author put the afterword at the end of the book. |
Use preface con with o by cuando algo se coloca deliberadamente antes de la idea principal.
| Incorrect | Correct |
| She prefaced with her remarks an apology. | She prefaced her remarks with an apology. |
| He prefaced by the warning. | He prefaced the speech with a warning. |
| I prefaced the meeting yesterday. | I opened the meeting yesterday. |
Use preface en este sentido más amplio para un preámbulo formal, no para cualquier cosa que simplemente ocurre antes.
| Incorrect | Correct |
| Monday was the preface to Tuesday. | Monday came before Tuesday. |
| The negotiations were a preface of the treaty. | The negotiations were a preface to the treaty. |
| The preface of the storm damaged the town. | The aftermath of the storm damaged the town. |
Use Preface para esta oración litúrgica, a menudo con mayúscula en contextos eclesiásticos.
| Incorrect | Correct |
| The preface of the textbook led into the Sanctus. | The Preface of the Mass led into the Sanctus. |
| The priest read the preface in chapter one. | The priest prayed the Preface during Mass. |
| The Sanctus comes before the Preface. | The Preface comes before the Sanctus. |
Use preface para material que viene antes de forma deliberada y enmarca lo que sigue, y reserve el sentido litúrgico para contextos religiosos.
Usar preface para un foreword escrito por un invitado o para una tabla de contenidos confunde partes distintas de un libro.
Del inglés medio tardío, a través de formas del francés antiguo y del latín medieval de praefatio, palabras dichas de antemano, de prae, antes, y fari, hablar.