saurya_s wrote:
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
Please explain the reasons, especially usage of only in this context.
S
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
XNow 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 familiesWe can use the pronoun That, which makes the statement
the median income
for married-couple families was $X more than that
for other familiesSo 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
)