1. Sloan cleared his throat preparatory to speaking.

2. Security checks had been carried out preparatory to the President's visit.

3. The partners held several meetings preparatory to signing the agreement.

4. For Oswiu it was perhaps preparatory to a request for a pallium for the bishop of York.

4. Wish you will love and make progress everyday!

5. He made his will preparatory to his voyage.

6. The passengers gathered their belongings preparatory to getting off.

7. He used to have a cup of coffee preparatory to his work.

8. You should pack it up preparatory to sending it by post.

9. She lit the oven, preparatory to putting the pie into it.

10. Closely related to these are multiple projections on canvas or paper or even on three-dimensional objects preparatory to painting over them.

11. So striking was the experience that many were said to believe it was preparatory to the end of the world.

12. I folded my arms and observed Emily Lightbody as she touched up her make-up preparatory to leaving.

13. Tom's folks, Muley said, had gone to a relative's place preparatory to going west.

14. Tom's folks, Muley said, HAD gone to a relative's place preparatory to going west. Muley was the only sharecropper to stay behind.