Step 1: Understand the phrasing of questions about marital status.
The question is asking about someone's marital status, so it must be phrased with the correct conjunctions that reflect options for a relationship status.
Step 2: Analyze the options.
- (A) alone or married: Incorrect. This phrasing is not natural because it suggests being "alone" as a separate status from "married," which is not typically used in this context.
- (B) married and single: Incorrect. This option contradicts itself as a person cannot be both married and single at the same time.
- (C) married and alone: Incorrect. "Alone" does not accurately describe a marital status. It may describe someone’s living situation, but it doesn’t answer the question about marriage status.
- (D) married or single: Correct. This is the proper way to ask someone about their relationship status, as it presents two mutually exclusive options.
Step 3: Conclusion.
The correct phrasing is "married or single," as it clearly reflects the two main possibilities for a person's marital status.