The Lib Dems have lost Aylesbury so there's a pattern there.

BBC: Buckinghamshire election: Conservatives retain control

"We've had a few over the years but in the last 18 months or two years there's a pattern... with younger people on both bridges, " he said.

BBC: Concern over Briton Ferry M4 and A48 bridge fall deaths

There's a pattern here.

CNN: Three areas where Biden and NRA can find common ground

There's a creeping pattern of New York phobia among high-profile athletes, and it has to stop.

WSJ: Jason Gay: Stars Like Reyes Aren't Supposed to Flee New York

Whenever I think there's a perfect pattern, further reading and study reveal an exception.

NPR: Utterly Humbled by Mystery

"For whatever reason, there's a predictable pattern where September has bad performance, " says Steven DeSanctis a strategist with Bank of America Merrill Lynch's equity research team.

WSJ: Is the 'September Swoon' for Real?

And then there's this: Can anyone point to a pattern in Sotomayor's opinions that are based more on "empathy" than the law?

CNN: Borger: 'Empathy' not a dirty word for a judge

But unless future events show this week's tragedy to be part of a growing pattern, there seems little case for rushing to action.

BBC: NEWS | UK | Education | The dangers within school

Unfortunately, there's a significant difference between the time a virus is first released and the time a pattern allowing its detection is available.

CNN: Technology - Analysis: Understanding viruses

There's not always a claim of responsibility in attacks like this, but this does follow the pattern of Madrid in 2004.

NPR: Investigators Cautious on Assessing Blame for Attacks

Liverpool children's author Alan Gibbons, a rigorous campaigner against reductions in library services, said there was a pattern of expenditure on large libraries while smaller branches closed.

BBC: Flagship libraries open as branches close