Because the couple cannot agree on many things, their relationship is now … .

Analyze the question The sentence says the couple cannot agree on many things, so their relationship is affected negatively. We need the word that correctly describes a relationship in this situation.

Explain the concept This tests collocation, which is which words naturally go together in English. It also tests the difference between words that describe people and words that describe relationships.

• Uneasy describes a feeling a person has (he felt uneasy). It can describe an "uneasy peace," but it is not the usual word for a relationship.
• Tensed is the past tense or participle of the verb "tense" (he tensed his muscles). As an adjective we say tense, not "tensed," so this is not standard.
• Stressed describes a person who is under pressure (the student is stressed). We do not normally say a relationship is "stressed."
• Strained describes a relationship that is under pressure, with tension between the people involved. "Strained relationship" is a very common collocation.

Solution

1. The couple disagree often, so the relationship is under pressure.
2. Check each option against "relationship": "uneasy relationship" is possible but weak, "tensed relationship" is wrong, "stressed relationship" is unnatural, and "strained relationship" is the standard phrase.
3. The best fit is strained.

Answer: D. strained

Exam tip Learn common collocations such as strained relationship, heavy rain, strong tea and make a decision. When two options seem close, ask whether the word describes a person or a thing. "Stressed" and "tensed" usually describe people, while "strained" suits relationships.