Example sentences of "it [was/were] [adv] for the [noun sg] " in BNC.
Next pageNo | Sentence |
---|---|
1 | She 's one of several who 'd be unable to study if it were n't for the nursery . |
2 | Mr Lewis seemed angry that he could n't enjoy his freedom in the country due to the army — but he would n't be able to enjoy his freedom at all , if it were n't for the army . |
3 | If it were n't for the tailpiece , there would be distinct LP Junior/Melody Maker overtones , especially in view of Larry 's choice of pickup . |
4 | If it were n't for the bit I earn I daresay me and my bairns would be in Dudley House an' all . |
5 | IF IT were n't for the presence of two eclipses , December would be one of the better months of the year . |
6 | Now we have to work secretly but if it were n't for the repression the Communities would be much bigger . |
7 | In fact , if it were n't for the program 's stunning speed , you could easily believe you were running a Windows application . |
8 | Peony looked suitably chastened , but there was a glint in her eye that told Peggy there was plenty more she could say , and would say , if it were n't for the fact that she adored the Vicar with a passion that bordered on the obsessive . |
9 | ‘ If it were n't for the fact that we have to spend time and pay lawyers to deal with it , we would find the whole thing laughable , ’ E&Y 's marketing partner David Wilson told ACCOUNTANCY . |
10 | Erm there 's been a reduction er , in the er , staff er because er er people have moved on and er , I take Sue 's point about er if it were n't for the fact that erm they 'd got fully e e experienced staff who 've been there some time , they have n't , not used to this churning over o of , and therefore , that has paid off in er in er in erm so far as being able to deal with the problems that have arisen and er , you 'll see further on er , addition profiles of the work that 's been done with er in this area over the town . |
11 | This could be a very beautiful sight , I 'm sure , if it were n't for the fact that the men all look like Jim Bowen and the women all look like your mother . |
12 | It was after ten o'clock , and he would be quite right to disapprove , if it were n't for the fact that , in spite of appearances , she had slept for only a few hours last night . |
13 | If it were n't for the fact that her grandmother had helped her grandfather form the original company of Sarah Chester Fabrics , that it was her grandmother 's designs combined with her grandfather 's technical know-how that had started the whole thing off , she 'd have written off all the Chester males as hopeless chauvinists . |
14 | overpower , you know , creep up on you , I , I 'd , it 'd just get the better of me Eric that 's why I got really the other one you see and that , I , I have n't come to any harm not having it , and erm I 've just got to get rid of this because it 's , I 'd do a lot more Eric if it were n't for the television , I know I 'll miss it when I get rid of it you see , it has been described as a plug-in drug |
15 | He also remarked , significantly : If it were not for the Union , I venture to think that women would be all over the London trade . |
16 | Well , Mrs. Jewkes , if it were not for the thought of that cursed parson I believe in my heart , so great is my weakness , that I could yet forgive this intriguing little slut and take her to my bosom . |
17 | Ironically , the Great War would not have been the war that it was if it were not for the machine . |
18 | The Rev Aaron Longwe , who has been detained and tortured by the regime for speaking out about corruption , told a gathering of former missionaries at the Kirk 's headquarters in Edinburgh : ‘ If it were not for the Church of Scotland some of us would have been dead by now . ’ |
19 | If it were not for the possibility of physical delivery of the underlying cash market good by the seller of the futures contract to the buyer , there would be no mechanism to guarantee convergence of futures and spot prices . |
20 | It would be idle to speculate on what the figures might have been if it were not for the security situation . |
21 | From what has been said above , it will be clear that the Oxford English Dictionary Department would not be what it is , if it were not for the Supplement project lying at the heart of its work . |
22 | He would have laughed if it were not for the echo of the screaming in his head . |
23 | It is rather unexpectedly glutinous and flabby to the touch — all-in-all rather unpleasant , if it were not for the splash of vivid yellow it gives to an otherwise sombre winter hedgerow . |
24 | The clumsiness is evident in the standard of ‘ the reasonable man ’ , an anthropomorphic ( and male ) standard which might be taken to suggest a paragon of virtue if it were not for the context of partially exculpating a killing by such a person . |
25 | If it were not for the fact that he was one of the favourites you 'd have been delighted but as a Gold Cup winner I had to feel a bit disappointed . |
26 | This would be a useful feature if it were not for the fact that a certain amount of vaginal discharge is perfectly normal and natural for a woman in her reproductive years ; and what is more , this natural discharge is subject to a fair amount of variation depending on the stage of the menstrual cycle . |
27 | This would not matter very much ( for it would always be possible for individual candidates to prove the expectation wrong ) , if it were not for the fact that whole papers in the final examination , or certain questions on papers , are to be ‘ differentiated ’ . |
28 | But why ( if it were not for the fact that one is a Christian ) should one be wanting to stay with the experience of women within the biblical tradition ? |
29 | He did not enjoy such visits now , and would have been tempted to abandon them if it were not for the fact that people might gossip . |
30 | That pool that pool would be really good if it was n't for the water . |