| No | Pattern | Freq | Relations |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | [was/were] [verb] [prep] a time | 69 |
|
| 2 | [was/were] [vb pp] [prep] a time | 59 |
|
| 3 | [was/were] [verb] at a time | 48 |
|
| 4 | was [verb] [prep] a time | 47 |
|
| 5 | were [verb] [prep] a time | 22 |
|
| 6 | [was/were] [verb] for a time | 10 |
|
| 7 | [was/were] [v-ing] [prep] a time | 10 |
|
| 8 | [was/were] [verb] by a time | 6 |
|
