Pronoun Usage (SAT Writing)

What is Pronoun Usage?

The SAT tests whether you can:

1. Match pronouns to their antecedents (what they refer to)
2. Use the correct pronoun case (subject vs object)
3. Avoid ambiguous or unclear pronoun references
4. Use consistent point of view

Pronoun-Antecedent Agreement

Rule: Pronouns must agree in NUMBER

Singular antecedents = singular pronouns:

❌ Each student must bring their book.
✓ Each student must bring his or her book.
✓ Students must bring their books. (Make both plural)

Tricky singular words:

• Each, every, either, neither → SINGULAR
• Everyone, someone, anyone, no one → SINGULAR
• Each of the students → SINGULAR (focus on "each")

Example:

❌ Everyone should do their best.
✓ Everyone should do his or her best.
✓ All students should do their best.

Rule: Pronouns must agree in GENDER

If antecedent is clearly one gender, match it:

✓ "Sarah said she would attend."
❌ "Sarah said they would attend." (unless Sarah uses they/them pronouns, which SAT doesn't test)

For gender-neutral antecedents:

• Use "his or her" (formal)
• Rewrite to make plural (easier)
• Rewrite to avoid pronoun

Pronoun Case

Subject Pronouns (who does the action)

I, you, he, she, it, we, they, who

Use when pronoun is:

• The subject: "She went to the store."
• After linking verbs (is/was): "It was she who called." (formal)

Object Pronouns (receives the action)

me, you, him, her, it, us, them, whom

Use when pronoun is:

• Direct object: "The teacher chose her."
• Indirect object: "Give me the book."
• Object of preposition: "between you and me"

Possessive Pronouns (shows ownership)

my, your, his, her, its, our, their (before noun)
mine, yours, his, hers, its, ours, theirs (standing alone)

✓ "That is her book." (before noun)
✓ "That book is hers." (standing alone)

Common mistake:

❌ "The team won it's championship." (it's = it is)
✓ "The team won its championship." (possessive)

Compound Subject/Object Errors

Trick: Remove the other person

❌ "John and me went to the store."
→ Remove John: "Me went to the store." ✗
✓ "John and I went to the store."

❌ "The gift was for Sarah and I."
→ Remove Sarah: "for I" ✗
✓ "The gift was for Sarah and me."

Rule: Use same pronoun you'd use if person were alone

Who vs Whom

Simple trick:

Who = he/she/they (subject)
Whom = him/her/them (object)

Test by answering the question:

"Who/Whom did you call?"

• Answer: "I called him." (object)
• Therefore: "Whom did you call?" ✓

"Who/Whom called you?"

• Answer: "He called me." (subject)
• Therefore: "Who called you?" ✓

Preposition clue: After prepositions (to, for, with), use whom

✓ "To whom should I address this?"
✓ "The person to whom I spoke..."

Ambiguous Pronouns

Rule: Must be clear what the pronoun refers to

❌ "When Sarah met Emily, she was excited."
(Who was excited? Sarah or Emily? UNCLEAR)

✓ "When Sarah met Emily, Sarah was excited."
✓ "Sarah was excited when she met Emily."

❌ "Remove the old files from the cabinets and shred them."
(Shred the files or the cabinets? UNCLEAR)

✓ "Remove the old files from the cabinets and shred the files."

Vague "this," "that," "which," "it"

❌ "The experiment failed repeatedly, which was discouraging."
(What was discouraging? The failure? The experiment? Unclear)

✓ "The experiment failed repeatedly, a result that was discouraging."
✓ "The repeated failure was discouraging."

Pronoun Consistency

Rule: Don't shift perspective unnecessarily

❌ "When you study hard, one can achieve great results."
(Shifts from "you" to "one")

✓ "When you study hard, you can achieve great results."
✓ "When one studies hard, one can achieve great results."

Common shifts to avoid:

You ↔ One:
❌ "If you want success, one must work hard."
✓ "If you want success, you must work hard."

We ↔ You:
❌ "We should exercise daily because you need to stay healthy."
✓ "We should exercise daily because we need to stay healthy."

They ↔ You:
❌ "When they face challenges, you must persevere."
✓ "When you face challenges, you must persevere."

Reflexive Pronouns

myself, yourself, himself, herself, itself, ourselves, themselves

Correct uses:

1. Intensive (emphasis):
✓ "I myself completed the project."

2. Reflexive (action to self):
✓ "She taught herself to code."

Incorrect use:

❌ "The award went to John and myself."
✓ "The award went to John and me."

❌ "Myself and Sarah organized the event."
✓ "Sarah and I organized the event."

Rule: Use reflexive pronouns only when subject and object are the same person

SAT Question Strategies

Type 1: Find the Antecedent

Example: "Each of the students brought their/his or her calculator."

Strategy:

1. Find what the pronoun refers to: "Each" (singular)
2. Choose singular pronoun: "his or her"

Type 2: Check Pronoun Case

Example: "Between you and I/me, this is difficult."

Strategy:

1. Identify function: object of preposition "between"
2. Use object pronoun: "me"

Type 3: Eliminate Ambiguity

Example: "When the coach talked to the player, he/the coach was upset."

Strategy:

1. Check if "he" could refer to multiple people: YES (coach or player)
2. Must replace with specific noun to clarify

Type 4: Fix Consistency

Example: "When one/you travels abroad, you learn about other cultures."

Strategy:

1. Identify shift: "one" → "you"
2. Make consistent: "When you travel abroad, you learn..."

Common SAT Pronoun Errors

❌ Singular/Plural mismatch
"Everyone brought their book" → "Everyone brought his or her book"

❌ Wrong case
"Him and I went" → "He and I went"
"Between you and I" → "Between you and me"

❌ Ambiguous reference
"Sarah told Maria that she won" → "Sarah told Maria that Sarah won"

❌ Its vs It's
"Its going to rain" → "It's going to rain"
"The dog wagged it's tail" → "The dog wagged its tail"

❌ Who vs Whom confusion
"Whom is coming?" → "Who is coming?"
"The person who I met" → "The person whom I met"

❌ Unnecessary reflexive
"Contact John or myself" → "Contact John or me"

Quick Reference Chart

| If pronoun is... | Use... | Example | |------------------|--------|---------| | Subject | I, he, she, we, they, who | She called. | | Object | me, him, her, us, them, whom | Call her. | | After "than" or "as" (subject) | I, he, she | Taller than I [am]. | | After "than" or "as" (object) | me, him, her | Likes her more than [likes] me. | | Possessive (before noun) | my, his, her, our, their, its | Her book | | Possessive (alone) | mine, his, hers, ours, theirs, its | The book is hers. | | Reflexive | myself, himself, herself, etc. | She taught herself. |

Practice Tips

When you see a pronoun question:

1. Find the antecedent — what does it refer to?
2. Check agreement — singular/plural match?
3. Check case — subject, object, or possessive?
4. Check clarity — is it obvious what it refers to?
5. Check consistency — does perspective shift?

Remember: If a pronoun is underlined, check ALL these potential errors!