SN4 ""

No	Pattern	Freq
1	they were [verb] [prep] the	1222
2	they were [vb pp] [prep] the	828
3	they were [adj] [prep] the	416
4	they were [v-ing] [prep] the	365
5	they were [adj] [prep] the	338
6	they were [adv] [prep] the	239
7	they were [adv] [prep] the	126
8	they were [noun] [prep] the	99
9	they were [adv prt] [prep] the	89
10	they were [noun pl] [prep] the	73
11	they were out [prep] the	42
12	they were out [prep] the	42
13	they were [det] [prep] the	39
14	they were stand [prep] the	33
15	they were standing [prep] the	33
16	they were sitting [prep] the	30
17	they were all [prep] the	30
18	they were all [prep] the	30
19	they were sit [prep] the	30
20	they were [to-vb] [prep] the	29
21	they were back [prep] the	28
22	they were back [prep] the	28
23	they were [noun sg] [prep] the	25
24	they were [not/n't] [prep] the	24
25	they were not [prep] the	24
26	they were part [prep] the	22
27	they were part [prep] the	21
28	they were [num] [prep] the	21
29	they were look [prep] the	20
30	they were looking [prep] the	19