Example sentences of "not [vb infin] [vb pp] a " in BNC.

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No Sentence
1 Disagreements in the church about the point at which one could not compromise left a legacy of schisms in the Nile valley and in North Africa , where the rancour of the Donatist schism persisted until the Muslim invasions swept them away four centuries later .
2 Had we not spent even more money on the BAIE Awards this year by advertising on the inside front cover of the magazine , we would not have received a single name check for 15 awards during the whole evening and in all the attendant publicity .
3 ‘ A few moments later and he would not have stood a chance . ’
4 Now had I known about this it the time , of course he would not have stood a chance of getting into the RAF .
5 Surely , if there really were a knowable pre-life creator , such would have long since become truly known to humanity , and would not have remained a subject of speculation after many thousands of years .
6 The population of Easter Island could not have exceeded a few thousand , so a sizeable proportion of the men must have been employed at the quarry , carving likenesses of their deceased relatives .
7 Turnips and clover , for example , may not have been really widely used until the nineteenth century , and the diffusion of knowledge across the countryside may not have exceeded a mile a year from the points of origin ( Deane 1979 ) .
8 At least one member of the jury said he would not have given a sentence of death ( which must be unanimous ) had he known that Prejean had suffered prolonged mental and physical abuse from his guardians .
9 If the patient has been misled or misinformed he may not have given a genuine consent or refusal .
10 Lost in the malai chain of command , shuffled round from captor to captor , I would not have given a great deal for my chances .
11 He felt that Woolley had no right to be so contemptuous , so damaging ; Killion alone could not have stopped a bombing raid ; besides , had n't he just destroyed two , maybe three of the enemy ?
12 The decision is justified on the grounds that there was no guarantee that the plaintiff would receive any of the fine and that Parliament could not have intended a workman to be deprived of the chance to seek compensation for his injuries .
13 I could not have imagined a better companion .
14 Once she could not have imagined a greater disaster — all the garments she 'd been working on , with such dedication , day and night , for weeks on end now , had totally vanished , disappeared .
15 Sheila could not have desired a worse profession .
16 The lack of a licence in Barlow Clowes ' early years may or may not have made a difference to the way investors ' funds were handled during that time .
17 Lorna Lewis might not have made a picture since a flopperoo called It Happened in Monte Carlo three years ago , but she was still Hollywood royalty .
18 Tim could not have made a better choice . ’
19 The landlord will not have made a taxable supply to the tenant and so can not issue a tax invoice , preventing the tenant from claiming input relief .
20 But does it matter as when you think that she may not have made a will , because then everything will go to her er next of kin as one says , intestacy rules .
21 He could not have made a finer creature in his own vats .
22 ‘ I gather that your brother may not have made a will ; so what happens now ? ’
23 As confirmation of the significance Harry had detected in Heather 's photographs , Mossop 's retraced route of three months before could not have made a better start .
24 The fact is that we give exceptional leave to remain because it would be inhumane to send some people , such as the Croatian that the hon. Member mentioned , back to their country at this time , even though they may not have made a claim of persecution .
25 Holmes says : ‘ Steve could not have made a better start to his outdoor season and it opens up all sorts of possibilities .
26 Firstly , a young horse may not have formed a habit of accepting things as they are and automatically always behaving in the same way .
27 ‘ Surely , ’ said Lefevre , ‘ it can not have escaped a man of your experience that some ladies are in the habit of dyeing their hair . ’
28 He waited with roused senses for what would come next ; and what came was so transparent that he had hard work not to laugh , and set out without more ado to take every advantage of a stratagem that would not have fooled a child in arms .
29 So the young maestro in intensive care may not have conducted a very effective Tristan or Beethoven Seventh ?
30 Mr Hellyer , who was in fact too nice-minded to do so , could have sworn , blasphemed , and Oliver would not have turned a hair .
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