Q25

[hyewonkim89]

I was down to (A) and (B) and luckily got this question right.

Commentators in (A) threw me off a bit then I saw "commentaries" in line 12.

Is (B) wrong because of the word "only"?

Thanks in advance!

[christine.defenbaugh]

Excellent question hyewonkim89! This detail question requires us to explicitly support each part of the answer choice with specific line support, so I commend you for seeking to do exactly that!

Since the question does not give a line reference, our first task is determining precisely where we should be hunting for that support. "[S]ources consulted by legal scholars of the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries" are discussed in lines 13-15, referring back to the "treatises, commentaries, and statutes." Those sources are used to answer "[t]hese latter questions" (line 11), referring back to lines 9-10: 1) how the law was intended to affect women and 2) how the law was thought to affect them.

These line references directly and explicitly support both parts of (A). "[T]he intent of Medieval English laws regarding women" is supported by #1 above, while "the opinions of commentators concerning how those laws affected women" is supported by #2 (and the reference to commentaries in line 12).


Improperly Sourced
(B) The sources (treatises, etc) probably have some information about some aspects of the special statutes that applied to women only, though there's no line reference that backs that up with force. However, there's no indication whatsoever that those sources provide any information at all about "the overall effectiveness" of Medieval English law.

You are right to be skeptical about the limitation of the word 'only' in this context, hyewonkim89, but the answer is more clearly suspect because of the first element.

(C) The probability that women would win their cases would be part of the as yet not undertaken quantitative studies, not part of the already consulted sources.

(D) The degree to which women were prevented from exercising legal rights is mentioned in the passage in lines 16-18, as a question the consulted sources are of little help determining.

(E) Which general rights that theoretically applied to both men and women, but in practice applied only to men is a concept implied in lines 22-25. This is also a question the consulted sources are said to be of little help in determining.


Note that (C), (D), and (E) all refer to things mentioned or strongly implied in the passage, but questions that are specifically noted as being unanswered by the consulted sources. These contradictions are tempting solely because they are supported by something in the passage.

(B), on the other hand, strays further afield of the passage, referring to concepts that seem to be in the general category, but are not explicitly supportable.


Excellent work keeping a focus on finding that line support for why the right answer is right, and targeting the specific word or words that make the wrong answers wrong!