diff --git a/parsley/shared/src/main/scala/parsley/errors/combinator.scala b/parsley/shared/src/main/scala/parsley/errors/combinator.scala
index ec105e5af..bd59b98ee 100644
--- a/parsley/shared/src/main/scala/parsley/errors/combinator.scala
+++ b/parsley/shared/src/main/scala/parsley/errors/combinator.scala
@@ -570,8 +570,8 @@ object combinator {
           */
         @deprecated("This combinator will be removed in 5.0.0, without direct replacement", "4.2.0")
         def !(msggen: A => String): Parsley[Nothing] = partialAmendThenDislodge {
-            parsley.position.internalOffsetSpan(entrench(con(p))).flatMap { case (os, x, oe) =>
-                combinator.fail(oe - os, msggen(x))
+            parsley.position.withWidth(entrench(con(p))).flatMap { case (x, width) =>
+                combinator.fail(width, msggen(x))
             }
         }
 
@@ -592,8 +592,8 @@ object combinator {
           */
         @deprecated("This combinator will be removed in 5.0.0, without direct replacement", "4.2.0")
         def unexpected(msggen: A => String): Parsley[Nothing] = partialAmendThenDislodge {
-            parsley.position.internalOffsetSpan(entrench(con(p))).flatMap { case (os, x, oe) =>
-                combinator.unexpected(oe - os, msggen(x))
+            parsley.position.withWidth(entrench(con(p))).flatMap { case (x, width) =>
+                combinator.unexpected(width, msggen(x))
             }
         }
         // $COVERAGE-ON$
diff --git a/parsley/shared/src/main/scala/parsley/errors/patterns.scala b/parsley/shared/src/main/scala/parsley/errors/patterns.scala
index 7a431730a..382f3970c 100644
--- a/parsley/shared/src/main/scala/parsley/errors/patterns.scala
+++ b/parsley/shared/src/main/scala/parsley/errors/patterns.scala
@@ -6,9 +6,8 @@
 package parsley.errors
 
 import parsley.Parsley, Parsley.{atomic, select, unit}
-import parsley.implicits.zipped.Zipped3
 import parsley.errors.combinator.{ErrorMethods, amend}
-import parsley.position.offset
+import parsley.position.withWidth
 
 /** This module contains combinators that help facilitate the error message generational patterns ''Verified Errors'' and ''Preventative Errors''.
   *
@@ -112,11 +111,7 @@ object patterns {
         def verifiedUnexpected(reason: A => String): Parsley[Nothing] = this.verifiedWithVanillaRaw(x => Some(reason(x)))
 
         // TODO: document and test
-        def verifiedWith(err: ErrorGen[A]) = amend {
-            err((offset, atomic(con(p)).newHide, offset).zipped {
-                (s, x, e) => (x, e-s)
-            })
-        }
+        def verifiedWith(err: ErrorGen[A]) = amend(err(withWidth(atomic(con(p)).newHide)))
 
         @inline private def verifiedWithVanilla(unexGen: A => UnexpectedItem, reasonGen: A => Option[String]) = verifiedWith {
             new VanillaGen[A] {
@@ -143,10 +138,7 @@ object patterns {
 
         // TODO: document and test
         def preventWith(err: ErrorGen[A], labels: String*) = {
-            val inner: Parsley[Either[(A, Int), Unit]] =
-                (offset, atomic(con(p)).newHide, offset).zipped {
-                    (s, x, e) => (x, e-s)
-                } <+> unit
+            val inner: Parsley[Either[(A, Int), Unit]] = withWidth(atomic(con(p)).newHide) <+> unit
             val labelledErr = labels match {
                 case l1 +: ls       => err.parser.label(l1, ls: _*)
                 case _              => err.parser
diff --git a/parsley/shared/src/main/scala/parsley/position.scala b/parsley/shared/src/main/scala/parsley/position.scala
index 55db05f9a..0b4db63aa 100644
--- a/parsley/shared/src/main/scala/parsley/position.scala
+++ b/parsley/shared/src/main/scala/parsley/position.scala
@@ -106,7 +106,6 @@ object position {
       */
     val offset: Parsley[Int] = internalOffset
 
-    private [parsley] def spanWith[A, S](end: Parsley[S])(p: Parsley[A]): Parsley[(S, A, S)] = (end, p, end).zipped
-    // this is subject to change at the slightest notice, do NOT expose
-    private [parsley] def internalOffsetSpan[A](p: Parsley[A]): Parsley[(Int, A, Int)] = spanWith(internalOffset)(p)
+    //TODO: document and test
+    def withWidth[A](p: Parsley[A]): Parsley[(A, Int)] = (offset, p, offset).zipped((s, x, e) => (x, e-s))
 }