Example sentences of "[was/were] [v-ing] [pn reflx] [prep] [art] " in BNC.

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1 To the rapid , repetitive beat two glistening bodies were contorting themselves into an impossible position , their backs horizontal to the floor and no more than a foot from it .
2 while country areas were bracing themselves for the influx of tragic refugees or louse-infested slave labour , depending on the children 's luck .
3 While all you fairweather golfers were fattening yourselves for the spring sunshine , I was running 15 miles a week in an effort to gain the necessary fitness for a 27-tournament season .
4 Many of the instrumental numbers were so relaxed , they looked like they were amusing themselves at a family party and when Harry told everyone to stand up as he bopped around the stage in his black silk suit , everyone did as they were told .
5 With their assistance , gears and warped carburettor components and portions of armour major and minor were assembling themselves into an enormous baroque weapon .
6 Shouts and curses echoed across the vault , and then they were hurling themselves down the steps .
7 She had stayed there , always conscious that she was preparing herself for an existence of unutterable boredom , and was one of an enormous number of women who were training themselves for an ‘ if I do n't marry ’ life .
8 Alyssia hesitantly walked in , and almost immediately saw her friend by the cash register , looking with interest at a couple of oldish women who had put on some very garish dresses and were inspecting themselves in the mirror .
9 Thus , a number of professors of English and other influential educationalists were addressing themselves in the altered postwar environment to the issue of the disciplinary revisions required in order to produce " enlightened " bureaucrats , administrators , and teachers .
10 At the Taj , Indian families were grouping themselves for the professional photographers who swarmed over the central platform .
11 By October local players were establishing themselves in the City reserves .
12 If the bird were dashing itself against the bars , feathers flying , then the similarities to human suffering would arouse impulses to assist , even to release it , like the giraffe .
13 The hackers were surpassing themselves in the inventive ways they hit the ball badly , and often , and in the wrong direction .
14 In effect the Berlin banks who loaned money to the Junkers were paying themselves through an agricultural clearing house in East Prussia .
15 You were getting yourself into a whole load of trouble , Fran , and I needed to ensure that there would be someone around to look after you when I could n't be .
16 Yet Chapman saw that the future of English football ultimately depended on the young , and he was particularly concerned to win youngsters over to soccer and away from rugby , a concern heightened by the fact that his two sow , Ken and Bruce , were distinguishing themselves in the rugby code .
17 Both of us were giving ourselves in the service of a third party .
18 At the start of the year , several firms were steeling themselves for the tough , face-losing decision to pull out of some markets — or out of the securities business altogether .
19 A more serious problem was what to do with the soldiers who , now accustomed to fighting and to war 's many attractions , were finding themselves without an occupation .
20 Off to one side , several men , still wearing their mail hauberks , were warming themselves before the fire .
21 Ironically , it ended just as the Giants were putting themselves into the play-off hunt with a 27–7 victory over the Green Bay Packers for their third straight win .
22 In these pre-Cubist paintings of 1907 and 1908 it is as if Picasso were preparing himself for the difficulties involved in creating a new style by taking stock afresh of some of the basic problems inherent in all painting since the invention of illusionistic perspective .
23 At the top of the stairs , somewhere beyond a short , misty journey , Jeopardy led Lucien into a room where a handful of musicians were preparing themselves for the coming performance .
24 You were congratulating yourselves on the fact earlier , I know . ’
25 The Smiths were priming themselves for a spell in the top five .
26 By the end of the tour kids were throwing themselves at the stage like little ‘ kamikazis ’ .
27 On the day arrangements went smoothly and we were settling ourselves on the 1220 ex Llangollen when Colin appeared in person , having done his work in the small hours and put our visit ahead of his sleep !
28 He urged them to recognize that by not understanding the thought of India they were depriving themselves of the opportunity of serving India .
29 Meanwhile , the Chancellor was bracing himself for a furious political storm when he unveils his autumn package on Thursday , including a mystery ‘ fiscal package ’ ministers are remaining tight-lipped about .
30 The city was bracing itself for a party to beat them all , but the Spaniards decided to re-write the script .
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