1.   Most had forecast that this former British colony would lag its neighbors in recovering from the regional crisis.

2.   Most had predicted that this former British colony would lag its neighbors in recovering from the regional crisis.

3.   The U.K. lags European neighbors on some energy saving initiatives.

4.   Weak market regulation and companies lacking the capital they need to grow, he said, have caused the Czech market to lag its neighbors in Warsaw and Budapest.

5.   With the Czech market lagging its neighbors, Czech investors may have the most to gain from the new opportunities.

6.   Yet frequent changes of government -- either by democratic or military means -- meant the country lagged its neighbors in building roads and airports.