Example sentences of "[was/were] [not/n't] for the [noun sg] " in BNC.
Next page| No | Sentence |
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| 1 | 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 . |
| 2 | 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 . ’ |
| 3 | 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 . |
| 4 | 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 . |
| 5 | He also remarked , significantly : If it were not for the Union , I venture to think that women would be all over the London trade . |
| 6 | Any cheers that met his statement — which was not heard in silence — were not for the General-Secretary but for his concessions . |
| 7 | Ironically , the Great War would not have been the war that it was if it were not for the machine . |
| 8 | 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 . |
| 9 | 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 . |
| 10 | 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 ’ . |
| 11 | 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 ? |
| 12 | 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 . |
| 13 | 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 . |
| 14 | He would have laughed if it were not for the echo of the screaming in his head . |
| 15 | 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 . |
| 16 | It would be idle to speculate on what the figures might have been if it were not for the security situation . |
| 17 | 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 . |
| 18 | She 's one of several who 'd be unable to study if it were n't for the nursery . |
| 19 | 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 . |
| 20 | If it were n't for the bit I earn I daresay me and my bairns would be in Dudley House an' all . |
| 21 | 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 . |
| 22 | IF IT were n't for the presence of two eclipses , December would be one of the better months of the year . |
| 23 | Now we have to work secretly but if it were n't for the repression the Communities would be much bigger . |
| 24 | In fact , if it were n't for the program 's stunning speed , you could easily believe you were running a Windows application . |
| 25 | 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 . |
| 26 | ‘ 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 . |
| 27 | 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 . |
| 28 | 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 . |
| 29 | 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 . |
| 30 | 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 . |