Vocabulary: Find the "odd one out" There may be more than one answer. Choose A, B or C and give your reasons.
1.
A. marriage B. cohabitation C. trial marriage
Possible answers: A is a possible choice because marriage is a legally recognised union, whereas cohabitation and trial marriage describe couples living together without necessarily being legally married. B is also possible because cohabitation does not necessarily involve marriage. C is a possible choice because a trial marriage is a period of living together intended to test compatibility and is not normally a legal marriage.
2.
A. monogamy B. bigamy C. polygamy
Possible answers: A is the strongest choice because monogamy means having one spouse or partner at a time, whereas bigamy and polygamy involve having more than one spouse. B is also a possible choice because bigamy specifically refers to being married to two people at the same time, whereas polygamy is a broader term. C is a possible choice because polygamy involves having more than one spouse, whereas monogamy involves one.
3.
A. a commitment B. a contract C. an agreement
Possible answers: A is a possible choice because a commitment is primarily a promise or strong sense of responsibility, whereas a contract and an agreement can have a formal or legal meaning. B is the strongest choice because a contract is a legally binding agreement, whereas a commitment or agreement does not necessarily have legal force. C is a possible choice because an agreement is a mutual understanding or arrangement, whereas a contract normally has a specific legal meaning.
4.
A. compatibility B. security C. stability
Possible answers: A is the strongest choice because compatibility refers to how well two people are suited to each other, whereas security and stability describe benefits or conditions that a relationship may provide. B is a possible choice because security concerns freedom from danger, worry or uncertainty, while compatibility and stability relate more directly to the nature of a relationship. C is a possible choice because stability refers to continuity and lack of major change, whereas compatibility concerns how well people suit each other.
5.
A. divorce B. separation C. remarriage
Possible answers: A is a possible choice because divorce legally ends a marriage, whereas separation does not necessarily end it legally and remarriage involves marrying again. B is the strongest choice because separation does not necessarily mean that a marriage has legally ended, whereas divorce and remarriage have specific legal implications. C is a possible choice because remarriage means marrying again, whereas divorce and separation concern the ending or breakdown of an existing marriage.
6.
A. a couple B. a partner C. a spouse
Possible answers: A is a possible choice because a couple refers to two people considered together and does not necessarily mean that they are married. B is the strongest choice because a partner can refer to someone in a marriage, but can also refer to someone in an unmarried relationship. C is a possible choice because a spouse specifically means a husband or wife in a marriage.
7.
A. a ceremony B. a reception C. a honeymoon
Possible answers: A is a possible choice because a ceremony is the formal event at which a marriage may take place, whereas a reception is a celebration and a honeymoon is a holiday taken by newly married people. B is a possible choice because a reception is a celebration following a wedding ceremony, whereas the ceremony itself is the formal part of the marriage and the honeymoon takes place later. C is the strongest choice because a honeymoon is a period or holiday after the wedding, whereas a ceremony and reception are events associated directly with the wedding.