Example sentences of "[was/were] [prep] vain " in BNC.

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No	Sentence
1	But I do not believe the demonstrations were in vain , because the spirit of freedom has been rekindled among the Chinese people , ’ he said .
2	Their efforts were in vain .
3	The girl could not explain how the locket came to be among her clothes , and it was clear that her protestations of innocence were in vain .
4	The gales drove the vessel on to the rocks and the efforts of the Mumbles Lifeboat were in vain .
5	But when Trevor tried to contact the pop star 's offices his appeals were in vain .
6	A Caldaire delegation visited London earlier this week for talks with Department of Transport officials but their hopes that Mr Freeman would find a solution were in vain .
7	Judging by the result , her search was in vain .
8	And wisely thinking ‘ t was in vain to fly ,
9	The Manager joined Andrew Cunningham underground and together they continued the search but it was in vain and they were forced to return to the surface .
10	But Delaney 's plea was in vain .
11	All his pleading was in vain .
12	All was in vain ; the poor law functions of the Boards of Guardians were transferred to the County Council , and on March 29th 1930 the Board of Guardians met for the last time .
13	It was in vain .
14	It was in vain that she told herself he was a stranger , a man who had probably by now forgotten her .
15	But it was in vain .
16	It was in vain that Nicandra cooed and called .
17	But the battle was in vain , and McAllister , like Dr Neil and Rose , had to watch while all their efforts to save Effie were useless , and slowly her life leached away with her blood , leaving her white and drained on the bed , only the shouts of her now motherless baby breaking the silence of the room .
18	It was in vain .
19	The surgeons ' battle was in vain and Tim died but now the Computed Tomograph ( CT ) Scanner is to be named after him .
20	The time and considerable effort that the fiscal exerted was in vain .

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