Example sentences of "[conj] it [be] n't for " in BNC.

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1 I agreed , but pointed out that it was n't for little boys . ’
2 I decided it all sounded so complicated that it was n't for me .
3 Brutus had said that he killed Caesar for the general good but Antony is now saying that he did n't know why they killed him , otherwise he saying that it was n't for the general good .
4 And if you hold a signing session — provided it is n't for a politician , a game-show host or some other nonentity — then the collectors will be out in force , perfectly happy to buy a new copy of Julian Barnes ' The Porcupine , though eager too to slip in their mint first of Metroland ( worth up to £80 ) or Flaubert 's Parrot ( £40 ) .
5 And it was n't for the others ' safety .
6 And it was n't for long , I must admit , that we had cows in that field but I think
7 I 've been to Germany and Austria skiing , I 've been to , er we went to Italy but I was , you know , I was quite a bit younger and it was n't for very long .
8 If it was n't for the drink , I might n't have told you .
9 I 'm sure if it was n't for the explosions close at hand he would have dropped off to sleep .
10 The other argument is , of course , would anyone ever have heard of David if it was n't for Tony ?
11 If it was n't for Mike I 'd be off but I 'm afraid he might start snorting coke if I turn my back .
12 Yea , drinking 's always got me into trouble in the past , I mean now I 've thought about it , I 've thought what a stupid idiot I 'd be , so you know if it was n't for the course , then I probably would have gone and done it again , you know , without a second thought .
13 My theory is that living in Lincolnshire most roads consist of hundred yard straights followed by a 90° bend to the right then another hundred yard straight and a 90° bend to the left — just to go round somebody 's field — in fact if it was n't for the drainage ditches you could travel in straight lines — assuming you have a Land Rover that is .
14 People would have lived happily if it was n't for the troubles instigated by the government and the Jewish Agency . ’
15 If it was n't for a bit of aggression , he would n't be where he is now .
16 ‘ Besides , if it was n't for the cuts , I 'd have had a permanent job by now .
17 Say what you like about the Ryder Cup and The Belfry , if it was n't for the 9th , 10th and 18th holes , it would be as average as it looks .
18 This would not be a problem if it was n't for another silly set of rules about what you must wear .
19 In a nasty , but highly entertaining tirade , one of the more perceptive remarks was that if it was n't for The Wedding Present , Ukrainian music would be confined solely to Blue Peter specials ; surely one of the main reasons the band did it in the first place .
20 ‘ Begob , Myles , I 'd be a more frequent visitor if it was n't for these stairs .
21 If it was n't for Winnie — so understanding , knowing that he 'd been tricked , snared in this vile trap — he knew not what he 'd do .
22 I 'd like to know where you 'd be now if it was n't for Father 's African interests .
23 She would n't feel one twitch of guilt if it was n't for Miss Phoebe .
24 Well it would be if it was n't for the tricky traps , perplexing puzzles , tantalising time limit and crafty creatures with an appetite for raw Rufus !
25 Visually , the body reminds me of a Schecter or Tom Anderson and if it was n't for Aria 's distinctive headstock you 'd be hard pushed to tell this was n't a £1500 guitar from a few feet away .
26 If it was n't for the evil shadow of this wicked body , we could all be a lot happier about Major 's slim majority .
27 I 'd never do what I do now if it was n't for Summerhill 's free-wheeling , timeless , non-routine approach to getting through when life 's off the rails .
28 If it was n't for the boys practising with my golf club , I 'm sure it would have died .
29 She is not keen on hardbacks : ‘ If it was n't for the literary editors we would n't be publishing in hardback any more — some books we would , but not a lot . ’
30 Then , credit is seen as a necessity ( Appendix II ; section 1 ) : ‘ You buy on credit to make ends meet … . ’ , ‘ none of us would have things if it was n't for catalogues ’ , ‘ … when you want to replace anything you are forced to use HP because you do n't have the cash ’ .
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