Example sentences of "able [to-vb] themselves [prep] the [noun sg] " in BNC.

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1 As we have already seen , Tories were largely able to accommodate themselves to the Revolution ; most could accept William at least as de facto ruler , and some , following Edmund Bohun , were even able to rationalise the events of 1688 – 9 in such a way as to conclude that William was also monarch de jure .
2 If the Declaration of Rights gave the Tories the sort of legal assurances they wanted , to what extent were they able to accommodate themselves to the break in the hereditary succession ?
3 Such a statement is misleading , because it seems to imply that the Tories were Jacobites at heart ; in fact , most Tories were able to accommodate themselves to the break in the succession which had taken place in 1688 – 9 .
4 The net effect of these injunctions ( as well as others we shall meet later ) is to ensure that the natural inability of human beings to respond ‘ perfectly ’ to all situations , however demanding or paradoxical , is construed by those human beings as clear evidence of personal inadequacy : they lack the ability , resilience or ready-made savoir-faire that they somehow ought to have , in limitless supply , if they are to be able to look themselves in the eye in the bathroom mirror each morning .
5 This condition is met wherever there is value in people being able to express themselves in the way they choose , at least where acceptable alternatives present themselves .
6 Schools were started in the monasteries , for Charles proclaimed that ‘ Men of God should not only live by the rule and dwell in holy conversation , but should devote themselves to literary meditations , each according to his ability , that they may be able to give themselves to the duty of teaching others . ’
7 And without doubt , many birds as well as pigeons , are able to guide themselves by the earth 's magnetism .
8 Although social classes change over time , they are able to reproduce themselves to the extent that they can maintain their distinctive position in the social structure within and across generations .
9 Their navigational system may be simply an urge to move continuously into water that is minimally cooler , and they may also be able to orientate themselves from the direction of the wave surge and the pattern of ripples on the water-surface .
10 An abatement notice specifying these works would not be invalid , but should planning permission be refused and further action be taken to obtain compliance with the notice , the Justices need not take the local authority 's advice and order the defendants to implement those works , but if they do , and planning permission is again refused , the defendants may be able to avail themselves of the defence of ‘ reasonable excuse ’ , under s.95 , leaving the local authority to find alternative means to seek abatement of the odour .
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