Example sentences of "[adv] [vb infin] [be] [adj] " in BNC.
Next page| No | Sentence |
|---|---|
| 1 | The ability to listen whilst another person talks does not merely entail being aware of the words spoken to us . |
| 2 | Though she wanted to run , she forced herself to walk , with what she could only hope was regal grace , past Matthew and out of the confines of that cupboard . |
| 3 | I wonder if deep down that peppery gentleman 's irritation might perhaps have been due to fear that once the gaff about whisky not being suitable for the kitchen was blown the master 's bottle would no longer be quite sacrosanct . |
| 4 | The creoles ' desire for office , economic freedom , and free trade could never perhaps have been satisfied within the static Spanish theory of imperialism . |
| 5 | The result might perhaps have been different if the money was in a collecting box . |
| 6 | It may perhaps have been valid in the past to dichotomize theoretical stances into endogenous ( formulated in terms of what is natural to humans ) and exogenous ( formulated in terms of sociocultural factors ) ( Heelas 1983 ) ; but many biologists today think that there is a built-in capacity for change through learning capable of giving directive impulses for change . |
| 7 | The Nordic states were reluctant to enter into any kind of commitment , but would perhaps have been willing to follow a British lead , while in France and the Low Countries British participation was regarded as an indispensable guarantee of security against both a resurgence of German militarism and the shadowy threat of the Soviet Union . |
| 8 | He confessed that he might inadvertently have been guilty of the second on occasion and freely admitted to taking gifts of the third kind , which he regarded as entirely permissible . |
| 9 | As for boffin , although the Oxford English Dictionary states that its etymology is unknown , I have conjectured that this same purist Huxley may inadvertently have been responsible for it . |
| 10 | That would only have been necessary had the troops been requisitioning other people 's equipment , rather than turning out with their own ambulances . |
| 11 | If she could only have been sure … |
| 12 | John Poole was a man of high Tory opinions , and the motive for introducing him to Coleridge and Southey can only have been mischievous . |
| 13 | This particular example demonstrated a common pitfall of this kind of positivist criminology : even if all the possessors of the chromosomal anomaly had turned out to be persistent criminals ( in the event , they did not ) then it would still only have been capable of ‘ explaining ’ a fraction of 1 per cent of recorded crime , simply because the condition was so rare . |
| 14 | Sharp rises in the national export statistics in both 1523–4 and 152 rule out any general depression ; any unemployment can only have been temporary and localised , as the disorders in the eastern counties were not repeated on the same scale anywhere . |
| 15 | If the plaintiff had not paid he would not only have been subject to legal proceedings for recovery of the tax but would have been liable to forfeiture of his business until it had been paid . |
| 16 | As will be seen in Chapter 7 , this itself could only have been due to current Roman catholic social teaching on mixed marriage . |
| 17 | Clearly the prices shown would only have been achievable if 8.9 per cent p.a. were the prevailing rate of return on Treasury bills throughout the 91 days . |
| 18 | This build would ensure the smallest possible surface area through which to lose heat , though the effect in well-insulated subjects can only have been trivial . |
| 19 | ‘ You must only have been infatuated with him if you 've got over him so quickly , ’ remarked Betty repressively . |
| 20 | He points to a single red blossom that quivers on a nearly invisible thread attached to a garland of synthetic butterflies and rhinestone-dotted flowers — a bizarre piece of headgear so tacky it could only have been custom-made . |
| 21 | Secondly , even if the plaintiff could have sued the armed robbers , they would only have been liable for depriving the plaintiff of a damaged left leg . |
| 22 | ‘ If they had investigated thoroughly at the time they might not only have been able to identify other elements of the fraud but also help secure some of the lost assets . ’ |
| 23 | It can only have been back projection , travelling matte or some combination of the two . ) |
| 24 | At least I 'd only have been wrong once ! |
| 25 | When the colleges merged , it would obviously have been ludicrous to run two applied physics courses , and therefore the staff on one of the courses were kept on to teach a physical science course which was |
| 26 | Tuda 's episcopal consecration in southern Ireland would not for long have been acceptable . |
| 27 | Given the Committee 's proposals on buggery , this would have meant that a man who procured a woman 's submission to anal intercourse by threats other than of violence would not necessarily have been guilty of any offence . |
| 28 | ‘ He ca n't have been much fun to live with ; his wife would n't necessarily have been heartbroken , ’ Guy commented drily , finally releasing her and going in search of a large box of tissues . |
| 29 | In the longer term , of course , this would not necessarily have been true , simply because the loyalty , and the ability , of Gloucester 's successors were an unknown quantity , but it is significant that the terms of the Cumberland grants were less generous than those north of the border . |
| 30 | In the longer term , of course , this would not necessarily have been true , simply because the loyalty , and the ability , of Gloucester 's successors were an unknown quantity , but it is significant that the terms of the Cumberland grants were less generous than those north of the border . |