c



A pronoun is a word that takes the place of a noun.

 Sam played with the ball. ©
played with 

 6

 





 

 





 


6


  



 
  









 


 

 The À
types of pronoun mistakes that the SAT tests:

 a
c


 a
c

  a
c





a
c


 

 The first question you must ask yourself when you see a pronoun is this: À

 




  
 


  
 
 

 



  

 
a
  
exercised daily so that ac


would stay in good shape.
 Every Pronoun must clearly refer to one and only one antecedent. Further, sentences in w hich there are
two or more possible
   for a given pronoun 
  
 so that there is
only one possible pronoun referent.
 Incorrect: Eva exercised daily with Jasmine so that she (Eva/Jasmine?) would stay in good shape.
 Eva hoped to stay in good shape, so she exercised daily with Jasmine.
 Sometimes, a SAT sentence has no true antecedent at all, although an antecedent seems to be
implied. Implication is not enough; there must be a stated antecedent for every pronoun.
Friendship was something James truly valued, so he a

disliked it when they a

talked
about him behind his back.

a
c

 After finding the antecedent, ask yourself a second question: Does the pronoun
agree with the antecedent in number?x

   



 

 

  








 
x

   


 

 

  






  ?
 Police work is very important as   help to enforce the laws of the state.
?
 Policemen are very important as they help to enforce the laws of the state. ?
 Police work is very important as 







  
?
?

c


À





 



 
 
c

 ë c


c

 c


I me My, mine

you you Your, yours

he him his
she her Her, hers

it it Its (not it¶s!)

we Us Our, ours

they them Their, theirs

who whom whose


 
 ac



 ?
 Incorrect : Janice and me went on a picnic together. ?
 Correct: Janice and I went on a picnic together. ?
 Incorrect : The picnic was attended by Janice and I. ?
 Correct:The picnic was attended by Janice and me. ?
 Incorrect: Who are you going to marry? ?
 Correct: Whom are you going to marry ? ?
 c



 


 À?
 Incorrect: Jose¶s (Possessive Noun) room is so messy that his a



   
 

c




mother calls him a
  


a pig.?
 Correct: Jose¶s room is so messy that his mother calls Jose a pig. ?

a 
À
 
   a






ÀÀ
a

 
 




   

 

a  
 




 Whenever you see one of these
 
  
you should stop and make sure that it agrees in number with its antecedent.
 Incorrect: When the person calls, take down their information.
 Correct: When the person calls, take down his information.
 Correct: When the people call, take down their information.
 Incorrect: Everyone here will need their own pencil.
 Correct: Everyone here will need his own pencil.

c
  In each of the following 15 sentences, underline all important pronouns. Then, for each
pronoun, perform the 3 -question test:
 What is the antecedent of the Pronoun? If you can locate it, underline it. If the antecedent is
unclear or not there at all, rewrite the sentence correcting the error.
 Do the pronoun and antecedent agree in number? If they do, mark with a check. If t hey do not,
rewrite the sentence correcting the error.
 Is the pronoun in the proper case? If it is, mark with a check. If it is not, rewrite the sentence
correcting the error.

I. Who are you going to take to the movies?

II. Kathy¶s suitcase was so stuffed that she decided to pack another one?
III. The students¶ work improved over the course of the semester, and they should be commended
for it.
IV. The players¶ helmets need to be repainted so that they will be ready to be used at practice on
Sunday.
V. I don¶t understand wh y me and Bob always have to take out the garbage.
VI. Some people believe that the benefits of a healthy diet outweigh that of regular exercise.
VII. We finally chose the coffee table towards the back of a store, which we thought would
complement our living room furniture.
VIII. At the end of the day, the chaperons took the fourth graders back to school, who were exhausted
from running after the children.
IX. Everyone here needs their own copy of the textbook in order to take this class.
X. Samantha¶s face looked blurry in the photo, but I could tell she wasn¶t smiling.
XI. We finally returned all the books to the library, which we left at the front desk.
XII. Jim may not be elected CEO by the Board because he does not meet their standards.
XIII. Meg left all her class notes at school because she decided that she could do her homework
without it.
XIV. The person who cheated on the test should raise their hand.
XV. Only pack the clothes that you are planning to wear.
XVI. Madeline is a better badminton player than me even though she learned the game only a few
months ago.
XVII. Between you and I, I'm not sure whether our gym teacher can tie his own shoes much less lead
us in calisthenics drills.
XVIII. The enthusiastic participants in the state fair's pie -eating contest, which ranged in age from seven
to nearly seventy, all said that they had eaten nothing that morning.
XIX. A paradox is a situation when an apparently reasonable statement leads to contradictory or
inexplicable conclusions.
XX. Judging a person by the colour of their skin is as absurd as judging someone by what kind of
clothes they wear.
XXI. Found throughout Central and South America, sloths hang from trees by long rubbery limbs and
sleep 15 hours a day, moving infrequently enough that two species of algae grow on its coat and
between its toes.
XXII. Presenters at the seminar, one who is blind, will demonstrate adaptive equipment that allows
visually impaired people to use computers.
XXIII. Five fledgling sea eagles left their nests in Western Scotland this summer, bringing to 34 the
number of wild birds successfully raised si nce transplants from Norway began in 1975.
XXIV. The golden crab of the gulf of Mexico has not been fished commercially in great numbers,
primarily on account of living at great depths ± 2,500 to 3,000 feet down.
XXV. As its sales of computer products have surpassed those of measuring instruments, the company
has become increasingly willing to compete for the mass market sales they would in the past
have conceded to rivals.






1. aberrant: Markedly different from an accepted norm.

2. aberration: Deviation from a right, customary, or prescribed course.

3. abet: To aid, promote, or encourage the commission of (an offense).

4. abeyance: A state of suspension or temporary inaction.

5. abjure: To recant, renounce, repudiate under oath.

6. ablution: A washing or cleansing, es pecially of the body.

7. abrogate: To abolish, repeal.

8. abscond: To depart suddenly and secretly, as for the purpose of escaping arrest.

9. abstemious: Characterized by self denial or abstinence, as in the use of drink, food.

10. abstruse: Dealing with matters difficult to be understood.

11. abut: To touch at the end or boundary line.

12. accede: To agree.

13. acquiesce: To comply; submit.

14. acrid: Harshly pungent or bitter.

15. acumen: Quickness of intellectual insight, or discernment; keenness of discrimination.

16. adage: An old saying.

17. adamant: Any substance of exceeding hardness or impenetrability.

18. admonition: Gentle reproof.

19. adumbrate: To represent beforehand in outline or by emblem.

20. affable: Easy to approach.

21. aggrandize: To cause to appear greatly.

22. aggravate: To make heavier, worse, or more burdensome.

23. agile: Able to move or act quickly, physically, or mentally.

24. agog: In eager desire.

25. alacrity: Cheerful willingness.

26. alcove: A covered recess connected with or at the side of a larger room.

27. alleviate: To make le ss burdensome or less hard to bear.

28. aloof: Not in sympathy with or desiring to associate with others.

29. amalgamate: To mix or blend together in a homogeneous body.

30. ambidextrous: Having the ability of using both hands with equal skill or ease.

31. ambiguous: Having a double meaning.

32. ameliorate: To relieve, as from pain or hardship

33. anathema: Anything forbidden, as by social usage.

34. animadversion: The utterance of criticism or censure.

35. animosity: Hatred.

36. antediluvian: Of or pertaining to the times, things, events before the great flood in the days of
Noah.

37. antidote: Anything that will counteract or remove the effects of poison, disease, or the like.

38. aplomb: Confidence; coolness.

39. apocryphal : Of doubtful authority or authenticity.

40. apogee: The climax.

41. apostate: False.

42. apotheosis: Deification.

43. apparition: Ghost.

44. appease: To soothe by quieting anger or indignation.

45. apposite: Appropriate.

46. apprise: To give notice to; to inform.

47. approbation: Sanction.

48. arboreal: Of or pertaining to a tree or trees.

49. ardor: Intensity of passion or affection.

50. argot: A specialized vocabulary peculiar to a particular group.

51. arrant: Notoriously bad.

52. ascetic: Given to severe self -denial and practicing excessive abstinence and devotion.

53. ascribe: To assign as a quality or attr ibute.

54. asperity: Harshness or roughness of temper.

55. assiduous: Unceasing; persistent

56. assuage: To cause to be less harsh, violent, or severe, as excitement, appetite, pain, or
disease.

57. astringent: Harsh in disposition or character.

58. astute: Keen in discernment.

59. atonement: Amends, reparation, or expiation made from wrong or injury.

60. audacious: Fearless.

61. augury: Omen

62. auspicious: Favorable omen

63. austere: Severely simple; unadorned.

64. autocrat: Any one who claims or wields unrestricted or undisputed au thority or influence.

65. auxiliary: One who or that which aids or helps, especially when regarded as subsidiary or
accessory.

66. avarice: Passion for getting and keeping riches.

67. aver: To avouch, justify or prove

68. aversion: A mental condition of fixed oppositi on to or dislike of some particular thing.

69. avow: To declare openly.