Example sentences of "[noun pl] had been [v-ing] [prep] [noun pl] " in BNC.

  Next page
No Sentence
1 Below them , a large group of human subjects had been circling for hours around a roller rink set among the trees .
2 ACET 's local representative , Ana Ureche , reported that she was ‘ greatly encouraged ’ that course participants had been lecturing to schools and other groups and had passed much of the literature obtained form the course to other colleagues for their use .
3 The ancient Egyptians had been trying for centuries to prevent the export of their sacred felines .
4 Borough councillors heard yesterday that 1992 is Car Crime Prevention Year and officers had been looking at ways of getting the message across .
5 She woke early on the morning of July 29 , 1981 which is not surprising as her room overlooked the Mall where the singing , chattering crowds had been gathering for days .
6 At last the government recognised what many researchers had been saying for years : that corporal punishment did not address the causes of bad behaviour , caused resentment among older pupils in particular , and was ‘ inimical to the quality of relationships between teachers and pupils upon which good behaviour is based ’ .
7 Sulphur candles had been burning for days , leaving the house free of vermin , then the whole place had been painted from top to bottom .
  Next page