In 1982 the median income for married-couple families with a wage-earn

This is exactly the problem in A that only is not modifying anything...

Post positive are adjectives or adverbs that come after the noun they modify

For example

The jury present delivered the verdict..

Meaning the members of the jury who were present at that time...

Here present is an adjective that is modifying the noun Jury. Technically the noun should follow the adjective. But in this case, adjective is following the noun. This is a case of post positive adjective.

In 1982 the median income for married-couple families with a wage-earning wife was $9,000 more than a family where the husband only was employed.
(A) a family where the husband only
(B) of a family where only the husband
(C) that for families in which only the husband
(D) a family in which only the husband
(E) those of families in which the husband only
(F) that for families in which husband only



(the median income) for married-couple families with a wage-earning wife was $9,000
more than
(that) for families in which only the husband was employed.

Go with C for

1. right placement of only
2. using "that"

This is test the comparison.
A and D are comparing income to a family; therefore, wrong
B is a little awkward
You need to compare income to income. Since income is singular, therefore you need the 'that' which refers to income and not the plural those. So E is wrong also.

A,B,C out .. because Median income is comapred with family

C) Median income for ..X ( marrried couple families with...blah blah..) more than [color=#4000FF]that [ Median income] for Y ( families in which only the husdand was employed)[/color]

E) Median income for ..X ( marrried couple families with...blah blah..) more than those [refers to what--> Median incomes.. but median income is singular in the first part] of Y ( families in which only the husdand was employed)

So C for proper comparision..

We can tell from the use of more than that this sentence is trying to compare 2 things. Now the question is what is it comparing.
The clue is in the non underlined part : the median income for married-couple families with a wage-earning wife was $9,000 more than X

Now we can only compare like things, so X must also be income or a pronoun referring to income. Also the 2 parts must be parallel so the sentence must be
the median income for married-couple families was $X more than the median income for other families
We can use the pronoun That, which makes the statement
the median income for married-couple families was $X more than that for other families

So we can narrow it down to C & F. Now comes the question of the placement of Only.
If we read the sentence with the last non underlined part then it reads as follows.
(C) that for families in which only the husband was employed.
(F) that for families in which husband only was employed.

Now C is pointing to the families in which the husband is the only employed person.
But F is pointing to the families in which husband's only task is to be employed. (Very bad husband indeed )

I think it is C .
Any ideas about the OA??

Choices A and D illogically compared the median income to a family rather than to another median income.

Also, families would be preferable to a family in A, B, and D because the comparison is between groups of families.

In A and B, in which would be preferable to where, since where properly refers to location.

Choices A and E misplace only so that it seems to modify was employed rather than the husband.

In B and E, of is less idiomatic than for, and the plural pronoun those in E does not agree with the singular noun referent income.

C, the best choice, uses the singular pronoun that to stand for income, thus establishing a logical comparison.

if we see a comparision, immediately look for 2 compared elements or 2 contexts presened by adverbs which are compared. this way would make it more easy to solve

use of in which is prefarable to where? or use of where is completely wrong here?

[quote="saurya_s"]In 1982 the median income for married-couple families with a wage-earning wife was $9,000 more than a family where the husband only was employed.


(A) a family where the husband only

(B) of a family where only the husband

(C) that for families in which only the husband

(D) a family in which only the husband

(E) those of families in which the husband only


look at choice B.
if we see only preposition phrase begins the second part of comparison , this phrase must be adverb of the second clause and,so, the whole preceding clause is implied in the second part of comparison. this is the rule for a correct sentence. we can not find this case in choice b.

if the two nouns are different because their adjectival phrases are different, we use "that/those". but if the two nouns are different because two clauses modifying them are different, we can use only adverb in the second part of comparison. this is terrible case

I think we should go with preferable.

MORE THAN THAT ......... WHAT IS ROLE OF THAT, WHETHER IT IS MODIFYING COMPOUND NOUN "MEDIAN INCOME"

In this context, "that" is a demonstrative pronoun, and as you suggested, it refers to "the median income."

Hello from the GMAT Club VerbalBot!

Thanks to another GMAT Club member, I have just discovered this valuable topic, yet it had no discussion for over a year. I am now bumping it up - doing my job. I think you may find it valuable (esp those replies with Kudos).

Want to see all other topics I dig out? Follow me (click follow button on profile). You will receive a summary of all topics I bump in your profile area as well as via email.