| No | Pattern | Freq | Relations |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | they were [verb] [verb] a [noun] | 46 |
|
| 2 | they were [verb] [verb] a [noun sg] | 43 |
|
| 3 | they were [verb] [to-vb] a [noun] | 42 |
|
| 4 | they were [v-ing] [verb] a [noun] | 24 |
|
| 5 | they were [vb pp] [verb] a [noun] | 22 |
|
| 6 | they were going [verb] a [noun] | 13 |
|
| 7 | they were go [verb] a [noun] | 13 |
|
| 8 | they were [verb] have a [noun] | 7 |
|
| 9 | they were [verb] to have a [noun] | 7 |
|
| 10 | they were trying [verb] a [noun] | 5 |
|
| 11 | they were try [verb] a [noun] | 5 |
|
