Its E. They just omitted unnecessary words because there was no ambiguity. With the necessary words choice E reads

According to a recent poll, owning and living in a freestanding house on its own land is still a goal of a majority of young adults, as owning and living in a freestanding house on its own land was a goal of earlier generations.

Core Sentence: Owning & living in a house is a goal of young adults, as it was of earlier generations.

Owning & living in a house is a goal of young adults, as a goal (it) was of earlier generations.

Here, the "goal'" of young adults is compared with the "goal" of earlier geneartions.
@osirus0830
I think the comparision is between the "goal" only. Correct me if I am wrong.

If D is :

as had earlier generations

will it be a correct choice ?

here it refers to "owning and living in a freestanding house"
but it shuld always refer back to a noun but owning and living is not a noun...(it is a action here )
plz explain why the use of it is justified here??

paes wrote:here it refers to "owning and living in a freestanding house"
but it shuld always refer back to a noun but owning and living is not a noun...(it is a action here )
plz explain why the use of it is justified here??

dosent "it" refer to "goal"...which is a noun

paes wrote:

here it refers to "owning and living in a freestanding house"
but it shuld always refer back to a noun but owning and living is not a noun...(it is a action here )
plz explain why the use of it is justified here??

dosent "it" refer to "goal"...which is a noun

owning are living are both gerunds and should be considered nouns. 'it' refers to 'owning and living'.

pradeepkaushal9518 wrote:According to a recent poll, owning and living in a freestanding house on its own land is still a goal of a majority of young adults, like that of earlier generations.
A) like that of earlier generations
B )as that for earlier generations
C )just as earlier generations did
D )as have earlier generations
E) as it was of earlier generations

plz explain

IMO E

IMO A.......

here we are comparing owning and living is a goal with anoter goal of a different gr.

will someone pl. provide the OA?

what does 'it' refer to in E?

anumania oa is E