SAT Pronouns Rules
By the Cheetah Prep team
A pronoun stands in for a noun, so it has to agree with that noun in number and point to it clearly. The SAT separates the pronoun from its antecedent and offers a mismatch, or it uses a vague it or they that could mean two different things.
When a pronoun is underlined, find the exact noun it replaces. If that noun is singular, the pronoun must be singular. If more than one noun could be the antecedent, the sentence is ambiguous, and the right answer names the noun directly. Know who, a subject, versus whom, an object, for the case questions.
The Pronouns Rules the SAT Tests
A pronoun agrees with its antecedent in number
A singular noun takes a singular pronoun; a plural noun takes a plural pronoun.
Each student must bring their own calculator.
Each student must bring a calculator.
On the SAT: The SAT separates the pronoun from its antecedent so the mismatch is easy to miss.
A pronoun must clearly point to one noun
If a pronoun could refer to more than one noun, the sentence is ambiguous and must be rewritten.
When the plate hit the counter, it cracked.
When the plate hit the counter, the plate cracked.
On the SAT: The correct answer often replaces a vague it or they with the actual noun.
Who is a subject; whom is an object
Use who when the pronoun does the action, whom when it receives the action.
The scientist whom discovered the comet won an award.
The scientist who discovered the comet won an award.
On the SAT: A less common but recurring case-form question.
Drill Pronouns on Real Questions
Knowing a rule and spotting it under time pressure are different skills. The diagnostic shows whether pronouns is costing you points, and Cheetah Prep drills each rule in real digital SAT questions until you catch the pattern on sight.
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