Example sentences of "could not quite [vb infin] " in BNC.
Next page| No | Sentence |
|---|---|
| 1 | The History Eighth , which had assimilated G. K. Chesterton and E. C. Bentley immediately before Thomas 's short stay there , could not quite swallow him , nor he them . |
| 2 | Both eliminated boats , however , could not quite match the quiet efficicency of the way New Zealand and Il Moro de Venezia , of Italy , progressed through the Louis Vuitton semi-finals . |
| 3 | In the morning , his friendship with the Mason was still as strong and his hatred towards Gabriel just as hot — but he could not quite recollect the reason . |
| 4 | There was a momentary reaction at the back of his eyes , though she could not quite manage to interpret it . |
| 5 | She longed to ask him more about Paul Gray but could not quite frame the question she wanted to ask . |
| 6 | For a moment he could not quite think why he was trying to poison Elinor . |
| 7 | NEEDING four points from the six singles to beat Scotland on the opening day of the Womens Home Internationals at Hermitage Ireland could not quite bring it off and lost in the end by 5–4 . |
| 8 | Graham Taylor 's battling heroes could not quite hold on for a win that would have allowed the beleaguered England manager to say ‘ Nuts ’ to his critics . |
| 9 | Colonel Fergusson , who could not quite bear to inform his daughter that the human family sprang from the same impulse which animated a beetle striking its head against the walls of its box , replied that in his view the Fergussons were a happy accident . |
| 10 | He called to me again and though I could not quite make out his words , I could see him gesturing for me to join him . |
| 11 | He was watching her closely , and she could not quite make out the expression in his eyes . |
| 12 | Thought of Miles and Miranda together at rehearsal came into her mind , and that made her feel , she could not quite analyse how they made her feel . |
| 13 | She , too , could be elusive , though she could not quite disguise the smile in her eyes as she said it . |
| 14 | But , in spite of the genuine excitement that possessed her , she could not quite banish from her mind a picture of that greetings card , signed ‘ From your dearest Nina ’ , that stood propped in one corner of Vass 's desk . |
| 15 | He was certain that Scarlet would never behave so irrationally but could not quite rid himself of the image of the breakfast table . |
| 16 | I could not quite remember their identities , but were those currently in statu pupillare to be assembled in a décontractée atmosphere — rather like , say , a police line-up — I felt sure that the whole matter could be discussed as an appendix to their weekly class ‘ Britain in the 1980s ’ . |
| 17 | I knew Jesus was related to John the Baptist and the Virgin Mary , but could not quite remember how . |
| 18 | Yet Shiona could not quite drive his warning from her mind and the look of cold dislike that had accompanied it . |
| 19 | She was like a figure in a dream that he could not quite recall . |
| 20 | He also remembered that he had a secret , though , at that moment , he could not quite recall what it was . |
| 21 | Henry could not quite work out why , since her pleasantness was not always followed by a request for money or some other favour ; perhaps she was remembering something he had quite forgotten , an incident during their courtship perhaps ( they must have had a courtship ) or a Henry , now lost to Henry himself , who could have inspired feelings such as pleasure . |
| 22 | It was absurd , but still she could not quite suppress the sisterly instinct to help him . |
| 23 | He drew an irritating line between one thing and another that my father could not quite forbid . |
| 24 | He taught her the words of the Angelus , the Hail Mary ; though he said that he could not quite use all the words himself literally , but he respected those who could , and he did not think there was anything in it which made Mary take the place of her Son . |
| 25 | She was still whispering to the gibbon to soothe it , but her innocent face was puzzled , as though she could not quite grasp everything that had happened . |
| 26 | Even the sight of their own front garden could not quite depress her . |
| 27 | ‘ Yes , ’ Julia said with an expression on her face that he could not quite read , ‘ but the law is the law and one ca n't decide to apply it only to those whose motives and characters one dislikes . |
| 28 | There were archers with them , but not a great company , and some three-score men-at-arms , all mounted ; and a knot of bright devices he could not quite read at that distance , though their colours did almost as well . |
| 29 | He turned and said something that Elisa could not quite catch to a young girl , unnoticed before , who had stationed herself by the door . |
| 30 | Some thought , some fragment of memory was tugging at him but he could not quite catch it , as so often these days . |