to mistake smth for smth to get/be mistaken to lose (lost,lost) freedom, consciousness to loose hair, hounds, a knot misprint - frEEdom sometimes she waits forever I'd use Present Continuous to make it sound negative, but that's not so important Well... The topic of common-law marriage is SO interesting. I was postponing the answer as I was planning to give a thorough, detailed answer... No time, though... But I'll write it first thing I come back!!!

In fact, don't even know where to start... Being a child, I always imagined the way I'd be proposed - a candlelit table in an expensive restaurant, light music, friendly atmosphere... Or a warm evening by the sea, US in the beams of the drooping sun... Well. I might go on and on. Where do these ideas come from??? Melodramas? Love stories? I was growing, but still in the heart of my hearts I was still imagining being asked to get married in a romantic way - with a ring in a glass of champagne and HIM kneeling before me... I started dating in the 11-th form with a guy who was good at tennis and was very clever. Boring!!! Then had a summer love affair - when I was sure that was love at first sight. With all the consequences of long tearful letters, poetry and getting disillusioned and bored again. Then a few more love affairs, when I was sure I would never marry such guys. And ended up with a friend. A real good friend. I knew he liked me, but had no passionate feelings to him. I was crying on his shoulder and enjoying his jokes and wit... He made passes and I managed to avert them kindly and one day found myself coming to him to live. It was quite a deal... Firstly, my parents didn't quite like the idea. Well, they knew we had close relationships and had to accept it (through rows - that is the first bad thing about a common-law marriage!!! Parents can not accept it, especially if it's about their daughter!!!). Secondly, I was proposed by another man whom Mom liked more... Well... When I moved to my friend's, we were not thinking about marriage. We were not thinking it was serious. So... we went on living that way for a year, when it suddenly struck me that was not what I had been dreaming about!!! (Well, Mom helped a lot to make me come to that conclusion ;)) But my common-law husband didn't seem eager to marry... And I started getting annoyed and irritated at every little thing! Sure, he didn't get what it was all about... So, I had to ask him to get married to me... Most stupid and humiliating!!! I wouldn' say he said no, but he didn't say yes! He offered to make it LATER. I felt so much humiliated that I started a row. The end was happy... But no proposals!!! Isn't it upsetting? Still... I'm glad we were living together before getting married. We had enough time to get to know each other's habits, to get used to each other. Well... He would have married me if I had got pregnant anyway. I was lucky at least that way... But I have quite many examples of men refusing registered relationships even when they have off-springs! And I feel sorry for the women... They don't gain anything! And though, if a man would like to leave, he'd leave notwithstanding the fact he's got a child, still a woman giving birth to a baby out of wedlock, is unsafe and gossiped about. Would a loving man let his beloved be gossiped about???

Мышка-Машка, thank you for the error correction. By the way, could you please check the articles in my topics, 'cause I have big problems with them) Well, I've never lived in common-law marriage, so it's more difficult for me to discuss it. I din't live under the same roof with my future husband before marriage, just the last month. I don't know why but for women it's more important to be married, to have a stamp in their passports. Maybe it was put in us in genetic way?) But, of course, it's very humiliating to ask for the wedding ring and hear the answer "Later". Men must propose to women but not the other way. Of course, I was dreaming about the same things, but when I began dating with my future husmand we just realized that we had similar thoughts. Sometimes we finished the phrases of each other. So we began joking about marriage and spending all life together. And then we just handed our application for marriage)

I've found an explanation why this marriage is called common-law. "Unregistered" is also used. The idea of common law marriage emerged in medieval England, because clerics and justices who officiated at marriages were not always able to travel to rural locations where some couples lived. In that case, the couple could establish a marriage "by common law." Concerning articles - that's an arguable thing ;) In fact, I'm not an expert. I might correct, but that won't explain the rule. Still, try to use an article EVERY time, if the noun is countable. Sometimes you skip them. e.g., in A genetic way marriage is also countable in most contexts

I would rather live in an unregistered marriage. It gives freedom not only to him - but to you as well. And no seal in the passport can stop him from leaving...

Nad_Gamgee, what is implied by "it gives freedom"?