Example sentences of "this [modal v] have [be] a [adj] " in BNC.
Next page| No | Sentence |
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| 1 | This may have been a late flowering of the ‘ badinage ’ that he used to partake in as a Young Conservative with Brixton locals , but so sensitive is Major about his background , that the public is permitted to hear only the Authorised Version . |
| 2 | This may have been a reasonable starting assumption for the initial round of forecasts made in 1985 , but it is not adequate now . |
| 3 | This may have been a Soviet response to the American nuclear war base facilities under construction at Diego Garcia ( and to a lesser extent to those at the Kagnew Communications Station near Asmara in Ethiopia which had declined in strategic significance and were slowly being wound down ) . |
| 4 | This may have been a popular superstition , but it was by no means confined to uneducated people . |
| 5 | This may have been a conservative blue colour with an elegant stripe down the middle of it , but it was all skew-whiff . |
| 6 | This may have been a difficult question for some to answer as it was an assessment of their own abilities . |
| 7 | Rather than a serious proposal , this may have been a diversionary tactic , intended to block the appointment of Bonito Oliva and force the Socialists to nominate a second-choice candidate with fewer political connotations . |
| 8 | This may have been a just compromise , but it was clearly illogical . |
| 9 | In retrospect , this may have been a deliberate gimmick as she so embarrassingly outclassed the first half 's performances by The Bruvvers , Chris Montez , Len Barry and Johnny Tillotson . |
| 10 | This may have been a conscious effort on Æthelred 's part to divide Olaf from Swegen , with the intention that he should then conquer Norway ( as he did ) and be a thorn in Swegen 's flesh ( as he was , until Swegen defeated and killed him ) . |
| 11 | This should have been a deliberate policy on your part . |
| 12 | This should have been a happy and holy occasion but the expressions on the faces looking up at him — Denis , Hana , Uncle Mick , Carmella , now pale and shaken , even poor Joey — told him more than any words how empty the action was . |
| 13 | Since living Nautilus does not have an ink sac , this must have been a protective device evolved at a later stage in cephalopod evolution . |
| 14 | For many , this must have been a therapeutic way back into civilian life . |
| 15 | Quite often operations could be cancelled at the last moment owing to worsening weather conditions , and this must have been a terrible let-down for them , after getting themselves keyed-up for yet another hectic night . |
| 16 | ‘ To him this must have been a familiar sight … ’ |
| 17 | This must have been a horrible shock to you . ’ |
| 18 | This must have been a bitter moment for Haile Selassie , but once again he gave no indication of his feelings . |
| 19 | This raises questions at present unanswerable , and complicated by the existence of a second long base in the sanctuary which seems to have supported a pursuit-scene ( possibly Zeus and the Nymph Aegina on whom he begot Aiakos , Telamon 's father ) ; and this might have been a first west pediment . |
| 20 | This might have been a radial arrangement of numerous panels around a central hexagon : Mosaic 4 ( 1981 ) , fig.3 ) . |
| 21 | This could have been a thinner book . |
| 22 | We could be accused of listening to foreign propaganda even if we were not , and now that we were on the suspected list this could have been a good excuse for having us arrested again . |
| 23 | This could have been a real disaster . ’ |
| 24 | With a bit more Imsak , this could have been a great book . |
| 25 | Which is unfortunate , for with some extra attention paid to these details this could have been a worthy instrument rather than just a competent one . |
| 26 | Agnes again stopped herself from yelling , ‘ How do I know ! ’ and she was about to say , ‘ You should have thought about this before , ’ but this would have been a stupid reply , for when that urge was tearing at your body and there was a way of getting rid of it , would one stop to think ? |
| 27 | He has a deep religious conviction , which tends towards the ecumenical , and this would have been a perfect expression of his beliefs and also a personal and rewarding spiritual experience . |
| 28 | But this would have been a long and painful process . |
| 29 | A detective at the scene said : ‘ This would have been a spectacular coup for the IRA . |
| 30 | This would have been a good-sized brood ( numerically speaking ) for a 4″ ‘ normal ’ Mbuna female . |