Example sentences of "[conj] he [modal v] have been [adj] " in BNC.
Next page| No | Sentence |
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| 1 | ( One even refused to stand down although he would have been seventy-six at the time of the next election . ) |
| 2 | To the end of his life Picasso himself did not bother to distinguish between African and Oceanic art , although he must have been aware of distinctions between the two during his contacts with the Surrealists in the 1920s , for they tended to prefer and extol the ‘ marvellous ’ properties of the latter . |
| 3 | I note that the hon. Gentleman did not take this ideal opportunity to deny that he may have been involved in the passing to the press of a bogus document about the alleged future of InterCity . |
| 4 | This business of him going missing … ’ began the Brigadier , ‘ It 's possible that he might have been involved in something big . |
| 5 | I suppose some people might have but I think I did n't really want to face up to the fact that he might have been that man on the beach . ’ |
| 6 | And I accept that he might have been upset but there are no polemics , so why destroy a great victory ? |
| 7 | I thank Mr Reckord for now admitting that he might have been insensitive in his remarks . |
| 8 | He gasped with delight at the sight that met his tired eyes rows and rows of fresh fruit and vegetables that he would have been proud to sell . |
| 9 | As we can be sure that Howard would have approved of the constructive use of prisoners ' time and energy and training in work habits , so we can probably also assume that he would have been disappointed in and disapproving of the latest trend . |
| 10 | Keith Speed , MP , the former Admiralty Under Secretary , said on television ( BBC Newsnight ) that he would have been astonished if those ships , from Exercise spring Train , had not been carrying nuclear weapons . |
| 11 | That maintenance was continued so long is probably due to the fact that Gordon Thomas , its instigator , had by this time become General Manager of the Grand Junction Company , and it is understandable that he would have been reluctant to preside over the disintegration of the lift , his most original and spectacular achievement . |
| 12 | Of its contents he retained only the haziest notion ; and he explained that he would have been reluctant to contribute to such a volume — his Second Thoughts on Humanism , published a year earlier , had consisted of a devastating criticism of the editor — save that it represented a tribute to Irving Babbitt , whom he had always revered as one of his masters and about whom he felt that his early criticism had been misunderstood , not least by Babbitt himself . |
| 13 | Two weeks ago Hoomey knew that he would have been terrified putting any part of his anatomy within an inch of Bones 's long , grooved teeth , but habit had given him confidence . |
| 14 | His sabre , unfortunately , was on the other side of the sepoy ( it was a good thing he had not noticed it because it was so sharp that he would have been able to slice Fleury in two without even pressing ) . |
| 15 | Because that would mean that he would have been able to hold on to his job . |
| 16 | It was several months before anything significant happened in Edward 's life — by which time he was so sick of the stagnant war that he would have been prepared to be parachuted into the heart of Germany wearing a kilt . |
| 17 | Even I can see that he should have been implacable . ’ |
| 18 | Late in his recorded career he described himself as ‘ only simply lettered ’ , but his extensive citation of biblical , patristic , and canonistic authorities in both Latin and English suggests that he must have been familiar with academic sources . |
| 19 | When they turn to the handling charge they must presume that he is not guilty of robbery ; and , if they are quite satisfied that he must have been guilty of the one offence or the other , they are bound to conclude that he was guilty of handling . |
| 20 | But Wiener 's comments on the corruption he observed in megabuck science are so scathing that he could have been open to a libel suit had he been too specific . |
| 21 | He finally finds contentment in living a basic life and repaying Joe what he owes him and he soon realises that he could have been happy staying with Joe in the forge . |
| 22 | If the director had been gay my guess is that he 'd have been stereotyped . ’ |
| 23 | If he thought instant bankruptcy would result from such disclosures , he must be no less earnest to become a bankrupt for the just advantage of his creditors than he would have been resolute not to fail by collusion for the purpose of defrauding them . |
| 24 | Nahum would like one , I 'm sure , and he might have been able to persuade Anna to drink something . ’ |
| 25 | alderman Hussey was mayor of the City in 1758 and he would have been pleased that his idea of bringing a clean water supply to St. Edmund 's and St. Martin 's Parishes was still quite useful almost 170 years later . |
| 26 | The prosecution alleges that by killing his wife , Green would have benefited by her £120,000 insurance policies , his £80,000 mortgage would have been paid off and he would have been free to pursue Miss Warburton . |
| 27 | Sam could sing and play the concertina and violin , and he must have been good for the BBC to come all the way to Baldersdale to find him . |
| 28 | Reid felt the first spasm of panic sweeping over him for he knew what Lester was after but Reid just grunted back at Piggott which provided no encouragement at all and he must have been one of the most relieved jockeys in the race to see the starting stalls open for even in the parade beforehand he still had visions of Lester taking over . |
| 29 | Niall 's hand touched her shoulder and he must have been aware of her stiffening . |
| 30 | You imagine what a guy like that is like and then you meet him and he could have been one of us . |