Example sentences of "if it [was/were] not for " in BNC.
Next page| No | Sentence |
|---|---|
| 1 | If it was not for the Grand Slam tournaments and the unique place they hold in the game , I am sure we would be losing this vital battle . ’ |
| 2 | It would be nice to dismiss this as a problem concerning a far-off country paying the price of its excess , if it was not for the West 's dependency on Japan 's past boom . |
| 3 | Housewife Rita Davis , of Ilford , Essex , said : ‘ We would never have known what our taxes are going on if it was not for the Mirror . ’ |
| 4 | The most popular British cult object , however , has no wheels and would not have moved at all if it was not for British Telecom . |
| 5 | Never a great footballing side , if it was not for the fact that they are in the same League as Athletico Whaddon , they would probably be known as the Athletico Whaddon of Division Three . |
| 6 | If it was not for her , this Council would have had more opportunity of addressing some of the deep problems the Tories either created or left behind . |
| 7 | At the moment , Fergie 's high-flyers look as if they can only give away the title if it was not for carelessness against Newcastle they would still have a 100% record . |
| 8 | My daughter would not be here if it was not for orthodox medicine but I do believe her condition has been improved by homeopathy . ’ |
| 9 | If it was not for the Leeds fans and manager Howard Wilkinson I would not have got anywhere near this . |
| 10 | If it were not for Section 8 of the Contempt of Court Act , we might be able to make reforms more rationally on the basis of , at least , a minimal sample of the recorded deliberations of informed and unidentified jurors . |
| 11 | The clumsiness is evident in the standard of ‘ the reasonable man ’ , an anthropomorphic ( and male ) standard which might be taken to suggest a paragon of virtue if it were not for the context of partially exculpating a killing by such a person . |
| 12 | If it were not for the fact that he was one of the favourites you 'd have been delighted but as a Gold Cup winner I had to feel a bit disappointed . |
| 13 | If it were not for the debilitating character question , Clinton would surely have a fair chance of beating Bush . |
| 14 | I am inclined to back Alexander 's argument that grouping would occur in most predated species if it were not for additional factors dispersing the individuals in relation to their food supply . |
| 15 | This would be a useful feature if it were not for the fact that a certain amount of vaginal discharge is perfectly normal and natural for a woman in her reproductive years ; and what is more , this natural discharge is subject to a fair amount of variation depending on the stage of the menstrual cycle . |
| 16 | This would not matter very much ( for it would always be possible for individual candidates to prove the expectation wrong ) , if it were not for the fact that whole papers in the final examination , or certain questions on papers , are to be ‘ differentiated ’ . |
| 17 | At the western outskirts of the town is the Bliss Valley Tweed Mill , an imposing stone-built factory which , if it were not for its chimney rising from a domed tower , would look like a great country mansion . |
| 18 | If it were not for the hollow bones the 30-ton creature would have required inordinate amounts of energy , and thus more food , to move around . |
| 19 | Yet if it were not for the eclipses of May , June and November , Pisceans might think they could get off comparatively lightly . |
| 20 | ‘ We will open on Friday , Saturday and Sunday throughout the summit with a big display showing the prices that would be charged if it were not for the Common Agricultural Policy , ’ says a spokesman . |
| 21 | Ironically , the Great War would not have been the war that it was if it were not for the machine . |
| 22 | ‘ requiring a seat belt ’ Means per regulation 6 of the Motor Vehicles ( wearing of Seat Belts ) Regulation 1982 : ‘ The classes of vehicle mentioned in regulation 4 are ( a ) a vehicle to which Regulation 46 of the Construction and Use Regulations applies ( see later ) ; and ( b ) a vehicle which is equipped with anchorage points and seat belts and to which that Regulation would apply if it were not for the circumstances that the vehicle — |
| 23 | Compaq Computer Corp 's first quarter earnings were better than the highest of Wall Street estimates and some analysts said that if it were not for a negative impact from currency translations , profits would have been a bit higher still . |
| 24 | From what has been said above , it will be clear that the Oxford English Dictionary Department would not be what it is , if it were not for the Supplement project lying at the heart of its work . |
| 25 | The mammoth catalogue raisonné of Magritte 's work would almost certainly not have come into existence if it were not for John ( d. 1973 ) and Dominique de Menil . |
| 26 | This death of Solomon reissues would be understandable if it were not for treatment given by EMI to other pianists . |
| 27 | Even so , as Arnold Freeman argued in Boy Life and Labour ( 1914 ) if it were not for the admittedly frail system of compulsory schooling , ‘ we should be manufacturing a race of hooligans who would make our existing civilisation an impossibility ’ . |
| 28 | But why ( if it were not for the fact that one is a Christian ) should one be wanting to stay with the experience of women within the biblical tradition ? |
| 29 | He did not enjoy such visits now , and would have been tempted to abandon them if it were not for the fact that people might gossip . |
| 30 | If it were not for the scenes written after his marriage , The Elder Statesman would have been by far the grimmest play he had ever written . |