11.   He pointed the finger at aggressive competitors dangling big raises and the now-fading lure of instant Internet riches.

12.   His contract expires at the end of the season and a big season could mean a big raise.

13.   How big a raise does a particular employee deserve?

14.   If he can play a full season as well as he played in the first half last year, he will certainly deserve a big raise next year.

15.   If ever there was a time when you would expect workers to be getting big raises, this is it.

16.   Many are expected to offer big raises in the coming weeks.

17.   New York City police officers are arguing that they are responsible for the recent drop in crime, and that they should be rewarded with a big raise.

18.   Not long ago, he got a big raise.

19.   Not surprisingly, people who have found new jobs, bought big houses and earned big raises saw nothing but blue skies from now on.

20.   Now, leaders of the employee groups say that with the airline doing so well, they should get big raises sooner.