Sentence:  While it is easy enough to ridicule Hawkins ' pronouncement in Pleas of the Crown from a metaphysical point of view , the concept of the `` oneness '' of a married couple may reflect an abiding belief that the communion between husband and wife is such that their actions are not always to be regarded by the criminal law as if there <WSD>were</WSD> no marriage . 
Meaning of the word marked with <WSD> tags:  have an existence, be extant