Example sentences of "[was/were] not for the " in BNC.
Next page| No | Sentence |
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| 1 | 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 . |
| 2 | 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 . |
| 3 | If it were not for the debilitating character question , Clinton would surely have a fair chance of beating Bush . |
| 4 | 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 . |
| 5 | 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 ’ . |
| 6 | The foregoing would , of course , mean that property rights were not for the dispensation of some imagined ‘ god ’ of early superstitious religion , but existed by virtue of the fact that human beings have , in the course of time , generally agreed that such a right was ‘ good ’ , for the reason that without it there could be no peaceful existence and no contentment . |
| 7 | The tears which coursed down his cheeks were not for the head groom . |
| 8 | If it were not for the hollow bones the 30-ton creature would have required inordinate amounts of energy , and thus more food , to move around . |
| 9 | Yet if it were not for the eclipses of May , June and November , Pisceans might think they could get off comparatively lightly . |
| 10 | ‘ We will open on Friday , Saturday and Sunday throughout the summit with a big display showing the prices that would be charged if it were not for the Common Agricultural Policy , ’ says a spokesman . |
| 11 | Ironically , the Great War would not have been the war that it was if it were not for the machine . |
| 12 | Any cheers that met his statement — which was not heard in silence — were not for the General-Secretary but for his concessions . |
| 13 | ‘ requiring a seat belt ’ Means per regulation 6 of the Motor Vehicles ( wearing of Seat Belts ) Regulation 1982 : ‘ The classes of vehicle mentioned in regulation 4 are ( a ) a vehicle to which Regulation 46 of the Construction and Use Regulations applies ( see later ) ; and ( b ) a vehicle which is equipped with anchorage points and seat belts and to which that Regulation would apply if it were not for the circumstances that the vehicle — |
| 14 | The theatre was not something of which her parents would have approved , such frivolous pleasures were not for the likes of hard-working shoemakers . |
| 15 | 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 . |
| 16 | Even so , as Arnold Freeman argued in Boy Life and Labour ( 1914 ) if it were not for the admittedly frail system of compulsory schooling , ‘ we should be manufacturing a race of hooligans who would make our existing civilisation an impossibility ’ . |
| 17 | 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 ? |
| 18 | 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 . |
| 19 | If it were not for the scenes written after his marriage , The Elder Statesman would have been by far the grimmest play he had ever written . |
| 20 | He also remarked , significantly : If it were not for the Union , I venture to think that women would be all over the London trade . |
| 21 | He would have laughed if it were not for the echo of the screaming in his head . |
| 22 | And in this case it seems likely that even if it were not for the depressed state of aggregate demand in the British market , the commodities produced by Talbot at Linwood would not have generated ‘ sufficient ’ profit for Peugeot . |
| 23 | There was even talk , Frank 's idea , of going to Ireland ( European tours , filling me with excitement at the very thought , were not for the likes of us ) . |
| 24 | 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 . |
| 25 | 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 . |
| 26 | It would be idle to speculate on what the figures might have been if it were not for the security situation . |
| 27 | 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 . |
| 28 | 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 . ’ |
| 29 | If it were not for the uninspiring mug-shots of individual candidates on the bleak official hoardings and the mercifully brief ( maximum one minute ) party political broadcasts on radio and television , one would hardly know that an election was on . |
| 30 | If it was not for the Grand Slam tournaments and the unique place they hold in the game , I am sure we would be losing this vital battle . ’ |