Correct Option (3)
: E&A
The problem outlines a family of five members (A, B, C, D, E) with a specific composition: three males and two females. Several conditions are provided to deduce their relationships and genders:
- E is not a male, which definitively establishes E as a female.
- B is a male.
- C is the youngest person in the family.
- D is the eldest person in the family.
- The family structure includes two fathers, two sons, and two wives.
- Professional roles are linked: "The teacher was the wife of a lawyer who was the son of a doctor." This implies a three-generation lineage: Doctor (eldest generation) → Lawyer (middle generation) → Teacher (middle generation, wife of lawyer).
- A crucial constraint is "E is not a wife of a professional."
By systematically applying these conditions, the family structure and genders can be determined:
- Given D is the eldest and B is male, D is identified as the Doctor (eldest generation), and B as the Lawyer (son of D).
- The Teacher is the wife of the Lawyer (B). Therefore, A is the Teacher and is female.
- C is the youngest. To satisfy the conditions of 'two sons' and 'three males', C must be the son of B and A, thus C is male.
- At this stage, we have identified three males (D, B, C) and one female (A). Since the family must have two females, the remaining member, E, must be the second female. This confirms that A and E are the two females.
- To fulfill the 'two wives' condition, A is the wife of B. The only remaining male without a wife is D, so E must be the wife of D.
- Regarding the constraint "E is not a wife of a professional": In the context of the sentence "The teacher was the wife of a lawyer," the explicitly mentioned professionals are the 'teacher' and the 'lawyer'. Since E is the wife of the Doctor (D), and not the Lawyer (B) or the Teacher (A), this condition is satisfied under the interpretation that "professional" in this specific constraint refers only to the Lawyer and Teacher.
Thus, the females in the group are E and A.
Incorrect Options:
- (1) C&E: C is identified as a male (the youngest son). Therefore, this option is incorrect as it includes a male.
- (2) C&D: Both C and D are identified as males (C as the youngest son, D as the eldest Doctor/grandfather). Therefore, this option is incorrect as it includes two males.
- (4) D&E: D is identified as a male (the eldest Doctor/grandfather). Therefore, this option is incorrect as it includes a male.