Example sentences of "could [verb] been a [adj] " in BNC.
Next page| No | Sentence |
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| 1 | You could 've been a real trendsetter , you could 've put Ghostbuster stripes on it |
| 2 | In particular Donal Lunny 's assured production allows for moments of rain-washed clarity in what could 've been a groggy hotchpotch . |
| 3 | How do they feel towards those who consigned them to what could have been a violent and horrific death ? |
| 4 | The perspective may not have developed antagonistic elements to the extent to which , at a generalised level , it could have been a genuine challenge to extant political power , but the populism did articulate working-class interests and demands assertively and independently . |
| 5 | Although it could have been a genuine geographical variation , the fear was that staff were failing to record them because they thought this might lead to unresolvable problems which would jeopardise planning . |
| 6 | He is , he said my mother said she could have been a forensic scientist if it ha if I had n't been born ! |
| 7 | In the south-west bath-wing there was a central room with a small cistern and niches for presumed ‘ ritual usages ’ ; from this room came a pottery model fir-cone , which could have been a votive offering . |
| 8 | It could have been a personal call , but Doyle 's sixth sense for trouble was registering so strongly , that he did n't even bother to hope . |
| 9 | Apparently she had a severe allergic reaction to the drug , although it could have been a lethal impurity in the tab she took . |
| 10 | But as the plane taxied along the runway at Praia airport and I looked out on what could have been a simulated view from a lunar module , I sensed how daunting the task would be . |
| 11 | Then I realized I was kneeling on a tarpaulin which someone had carefully placed over what could have been a small metal gate — or — the detached ‘ fun bumper ’ cow-catcher device from a small four-wheel-drive vehicle , say , a Shogun . |
| 12 | It could have been a crushing disappointment for Tip Anderson , with the Championship staged over his home course ; instead it turned into a remarkable and spectacular success . |
| 13 | If the United States had not been able to run a deficit to finance the investment abroad , one response could have been a lower value of the dollar , more competitive exports and a sufficient trade surplus to finance the overseas investment . |
| 14 | One conclusion is that Vietnam could have been a proud success , and would have been were it not for , e.g. , the political constraints on the military . |
| 15 | Could have been a bloody waste of time . |
| 16 | Blake thought the burning incense could have been a hallucinogenic drug which was altering his perception . |
| 17 | The premature end to what could have been a professional ballet career meant that Carol at least had more time to devote to the blossoming courtship with a young accountant , Ron Minogue . |
| 18 | The haberdashery counter could have been a useful enough base for his operations . |
| 19 | But Magda ze Schluderpacheru was better than the other madams , the Silver Shuriken could have been a nice place with a little work . |
| 20 | It could have been a close call . ’ |
| 21 | There could have been a serious road accident with a dozen or so frightened animals careering about country lanes . |
| 22 | This act is hardly likely to have endeared the chiefs to the Roman cause , especially if all the money had been spent , and could have been a deciding factor in the hardening of the changing attitudes in some of the royal households . |
| 23 | He also had an eagle two at the 11th and two more birdies at 13 and 14 but dropped shots at 15 and 16 spoilt what could have been a six under par round . |
| 24 | It could have been a glorious finale , but it was n't . |
| 25 | The British government over the water could have been a million miles away ( for detailed accounts see Arthur 1984 ; Buckland 1979 ; Farrell 1976 ; for a summary see McAllister 1983 ; for a summary of all forms of discrimination adopted , see Whyte 1983 ; Hillyard 1983 ) . |
| 26 | Could have been a million miles away . |
| 27 | If it had n't rained the night before the car was burnt , there could have been a major forest fire . |
| 28 | With a bit more Imsak , this could have been a great book . |
| 29 | ‘ You could have been a great cabinet maker , ’ she told him . |
| 30 | In retrospect , she said , the Budget could have been a great deal worse for disabled people considering what issues had been bandied about in the media recently . |