Our understanding of these patterns is still in a preliminary stage.

He was aware that events tonight were only in the preliminary stage.

A. In many ways, the investigation remains at a preliminary stage.

Relief officials said those plans were at the preliminary stage.

Certainly, however, matters could not long remain in a preliminary stage.

The research is at a preliminary stage, and the drugs have yet to be tested in large groups of people.

For him working form nature is no more than a preliminary stage.

Inquiries into these issues are at a preliminary stage, she added.

He will be entered in at the preliminary stage this year.

I'm only saying that anything he and I discussed was at a very preliminary stage.