| No | Pattern | Freq | Relations |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | had been [v-ing] for [adj] years | 44 |
|
| 2 | had been [verb] for [num] years | 43 |
|
| 3 | had been [verb] for [det] years | 37 |
|
| 4 | had been [vb pp] for [adj] years | 36 |
|
| 5 | had been [verb] for many years | 18 |
|
| 6 | had been [verb] for many years | 18 |
|
| 7 | had been [verb] for some years | 11 |
|
| 8 | had been [verb] for some years | 11 |
|
| 9 | had been [verb] for several years | 8 |
|
| 10 | had been [verb] for several years | 8 |
|
| 11 | had been [verb] for two years | 7 |
|
| 12 | had been [verb] for two years | 7 |
|
| 13 | had been [verb] for seven years | 5 |
|
| 14 | had been [verb] for thirty years | 5 |
|
| 15 | had been [verb] for thirty years | 5 |
|
| 16 | had been [verb] for seven years | 5 |
|
