SN4 ""

No	Pattern	Freq
1	they were [verb] [prep] the [noun]	918
2	they were [verb] [prep] the [noun sg]	700
3	they were [verb] [prep] the [adj]	317
4	they were [verb] [prep] the [adj]	226
5	they were [verb] [prep] the [noun pl]	153
6	they were [verb] [prep] the [noun prp]	55
7	they were [verb] [prep] the [num ord]	34
8	they were [verb] [prep] the [det]	29
9	they were [verb] [prep] the same	27
10	they were [verb] [prep] the same	27
11	they were [verb] [prep] the [num]	16
12	they were [verb] [prep] the house	12
13	they were [verb] [prep] the time	12
14	they were [verb] [prep] the house	12
15	they were [verb] [prep] the first	11
16	they were [verb] [prep] the first	11
17	they were [verb] [prep] the time	11
18	they were [verb] [prep] the [n mass]	10
19	they were [verb] [prep] the [adv]	9
20	they were [verb] [prep] the [adv]	9
21	they were [verb] [prep] the royal	7
22	they were [verb] [prep] the royal	7
23	they were [verb] [prep] the [adj -er]	7
24	they were [verb] [prep] the [no cls]	7
25	they were [verb] [prep] the police	7
26	they were [verb] [prep] the [unc]	7
27	they were [verb] [prep] the car	7
28	they were [verb] [prep] the car	7
29	they were [verb] [prep] the wall	7
30	they were [verb] [prep] the police	7