def get_marital_status(x):
    """ returns the int value for the nominal value marital-status
    """
    if x == 'Never-married':
        return 1
    elif x == 'Married-civ-spouse':
        return 2
    elif x == 'Divorced':
        return 3
    elif x == 'Married-spouse-absent':
        return 4
    elif x == 'Widowed':
        return 5
    elif x == 'Separated':
        return 6
    elif x == 'Married-AF-spouse':
        return 7
    else:
        return 0