English Vocabulary in Use Pre-intermediate and Intermediate » Unit 15: Romance, marriage and divorce

Word List
  • alone
  • anniversary
  • break up [end a relationship]
  • bride
  • (bride) groom
  • celebration
  • ceremony
  • date [romantic meeting]
  • divorce
  • engagement
  • get divorced
  • get engaged
  • give up sth [leave a job]
  • go out with sb
  • honeymoon
  • in love
  • leave [end a relationship]
  • marry
  • pregnancy
  • pregnant
  • reception [wedding party]
  • relationship
  • serious [important]
  • wedding
  • celebrate
  • couple [several]
  • go wrong
  • on my/your own
Exercises

15.1 ‣ Put the events in a logical order.

  1. I went out with Gabriel. _____
  2. We got married. _____
  3. I got pregnant three months later. _____
  4. We got engaged. _____
  5. I got to know Gabriel. _____
  6. Our son was born just after our first anniversary. _____
  7. We went on our honeymoon. _____
  8. I met Gabriel at a party.
  9. We had a big reception. _____

15.2 ‣ Which words are being defined?

  1. The big party you have after the wedding.
  2. A romantic meeting you plan before it happens. _____
  3. The period of time when you are married. _____
  4. How you describe a woman who is going to have a baby. _____
  5. The day that is exactly one year, or a number of years, after an important event. _____
  6. The name given to the woman and man on their wedding day. _____ and _____
  7. Stop doing a job or activity. _____ something up

15.3 ‣ Complete the dialogues.

  1. A: When did they get ?
    B: Last week. They plan to get married in a _____ of years.
  2. A: Where did they meet?
    B: I think he got _____ her at university.
    A: And now they’re married?
    B: Yes, the _____ was last week.
  3. A: Is it going to be a big wedding?
    B: No, they’re having a small _____ in the village church.
    A: And what about the reception?
    B: They’re having a reception but no _____. They’re going straight back to work.
  4. A: So, it’s all over.
    B: Yes. Lily _____ him and moved out last month.
    A: Oh dear. Have they had problems for a long time?
    B: I think it all started to go _____ when they moved to Woodbridge.
    A: And what about Oliver? Is he alone now?
    B: Yes, completely on _____. He doesn’t want any new relationships yet.
    A: But the marriage is definitely over?
    B: Yes, I’m afraid they’re getting _____.

15.4 ‣

Over to you

Answer the questions for you, then, if possible, ask a friend and write their answers.

  1. Can you remember your first date? (When, and who with?)
    _____
  2. Can you remember your first serious relationship? (Who was it with? Did you break up, or are you still with the same person?)
    _____
  3. Whose was the last wedding you went to?
    _____
  4. What was the last big celebration (other than a wedding) that you went to?
    _____
Answer Key
A ‣ Romance

“I had my first date1 when I was 16, and it was terrible. I took a girl to the cinema but she didn’t like the film and looked bored all evening; it was a bad start. Then, when I was 17, I went out with2 a girl for three months, but we broke up3 when she met a boy who was two years older than me, and had a car. My first serious relationship4 was when I went to university. I got to know5 Melanie because we were on the same course. At first we were just friends, then we started going out with each other, and after a few months we realised we were in love. We got engaged6 a couple of7 years after we left university and then …”

1a planned romantic meeting
2had a romantic relationship with
3the relationship ended
4important romantic relationship
5became friends with
6formally agreed to marry
7two, perhaps three

B ‣ Marriage*

“… we got married1 the following year. We didn’t want a big ceremony2, so we had the wedding3 in the local church near Melanie’s home with just family and a few friends. afterwards we had the reception4 in a small hotel nearby, and then went on our honeymoon5 to Greece.”

* the time when you are married
1became husband and wife
2an important public event
3the ceremony when people get married
4the wedding party
5a holiday just after getting married

Common mistakes

She got to know Darren at university. (NOT She knew Darren at university.)

Now they plan to get married. (NOT They plan to get marry; or They plan to married.)

She’s getting married to Darren next year. (NOT She’s getting married with Darren next year.)

C ‣ Children

“Just over three years later Melanie got pregnant, and our first child, Cal, was born just two days after our fourth wedding anniversary1. We had a big celebration2.”

1a day that is exactly one or more years after an important event
2a time when you do something you enjoy because it is a special day

Language help

adjectivenoun
engagedengagement
pregnantpregnancy
verbnoun
celebrate celebration
marry marriage
D ‣ Divorce*

“Things started to go wrong1 when I got a job as manager of a sport swear company. I was working six days a week and I had to do a lot of travelling. It was difficult for Melanie as well. She was working during the week, then at weekends she was often alone / on her own2 with two young children. I felt I couldn’t give up3 my job, and in the end Melanie decided to leave4 me. The following year we got divorced5.”

* when a marriage officially ends
1 become a problem
2 without other people
3 stop doing
4 stop living with me
5 the marriage officially ended

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