How do you make a pronoun agree with its antecedent and keep its reference clear on the Digital SAT?
Pronoun agreement and clarity: matching a pronoun to its antecedent in number, choosing the right case, and avoiding ambiguous or missing references on Digital SAT form questions.
A focused answer to the Digital SAT pronoun skill: matching a pronoun to its antecedent in number, using the correct case, and keeping references unambiguous, including singular antecedents like 'each' and the its/it's and who/whom distinctions.
Reviewed by: AI editorial process; not yet individually human-reviewed
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What this skill is asking
A pronoun question tests three things: whether a pronoun agrees with its antecedent in number, whether it is in the right case (subject or object), and whether its reference is clear. On the Digital SAT, the College Board (Standard English Conventions domain, form, structure and sense) places a pronoun with a singular antecedent that is easy to misread as plural, or leaves a pronoun that could point to two possible nouns. The skill is to find the antecedent, match number and case, and ensure the reference is unambiguous.
Agreement in number
Find the antecedent, the noun the pronoun stands for, and match the pronoun's number to it. The trap is an antecedent that looks plural but is singular.
"Each of the students" is singular ("each"), so it takes a singular pronoun, even though "students" is plural and sits right next to the pronoun. This mirrors subject-verb agreement: the true antecedent, not the nearest noun, governs. The same logic applies to a collective noun acting as one body: "the company increased its profits" uses the singular "its" because the company is a single unit, even though it contains many people, and a switch to "their" would be wrong in the formal Standard English the SAT tests.
Case and clarity
Two further tests complete pronoun questions: case and clarity.
The common confusions
The SAT regularly tests a few specific pairs. Its is possessive ("the dog wagged its tail"); it's means "it is." Who is a subject pronoun ("who is calling?"); whom is an object pronoun ("to whom did you speak?"). They're/their/there: "they're" is "they are," "their" is possessive, "there" is a place or an expletive. These are quick points once you know the distinction, and the SAT includes them because they are easy to slip on. A fast way to settle who versus whom is to answer the underlying question with he or him: if "he" answers it, use "who" (both subjects); if "him" answers it, use "whom" (both objects), and the shared "m" of "him" and "whom" makes the pair easy to remember. The pronoun skills connect to plural and possessive nouns, where the apostrophe rules for possession parallel the its/it's distinction.
Exam-style practice questions
Practice questions written in the style of College Board exam questions on this dot point, with worked answer explainers. The year tag is the paper they imitate, not the source.
Digital SAT R&W (style)1 marksWhich choice makes the pronoun agree with its antecedent? 'Each of the participants received ____ own copy of the schedule.' (A) their (B) his or her (C) they're (D) thereShow worked answer →
The correct answer is (B), his or her.
The antecedent is "each" (singular), so the pronoun should be singular: "Each of the participants received his or her own copy." Choice (A) "their" is plural and does not agree with the singular "each" in formal Standard English as tested here; (C) "they're" means "they are"; (D) "there" is an adverb, not a possessive. Match the pronoun's number to the true antecedent, which is "each," not "participants."
Digital SAT R&W (style)1 marksWhich choice corrects the unclear reference? 'When the cup hit the plate, it shattered. To fix the ambiguity, the sentence should specify ____.' (A) it (B) that (C) which one shattered (the cup or the plate) (D) themShow worked answer →
The correct answer is (C).
"It" is ambiguous because it could refer to the cup or the plate, both singular nouns. Good writing makes the reference clear by naming the noun ("the cup shattered") rather than leaving an ambiguous pronoun. Choices (A), (B) and (D) keep or worsen the ambiguity. The SAT rewards a clear, unambiguous reference, often by replacing the vague pronoun with the specific noun.
Related dot points
- Subject-verb agreement: finding the true subject, ignoring intervening phrases, and matching a singular or plural verb, including with collective nouns and inverted sentences, on Digital SAT form questions.
A focused answer to the Digital SAT subject-verb agreement skill: identifying the true subject past intervening phrases, handling collective nouns and 'each/every,' and matching the verb's number, with inverted and there-is sentences.
- Verb tense and form: keeping tense consistent with the passage's time frame, using the perfect tenses for sequence, and distinguishing finite verbs from participles on Digital SAT form questions.
A focused answer to the Digital SAT verb tense and form skill: matching tense to the time markers in the passage, using past perfect for an earlier past event, and choosing a finite verb rather than a participle when the sentence needs one.
- Modifier placement: ensuring an introductory or descriptive modifier sits next to the word it describes, and fixing dangling modifiers by naming the right subject, on Digital SAT form questions.
A focused answer to the Digital SAT modifier skill: making an introductory modifier describe the noun that immediately follows, recognising dangling and misplaced modifiers, and fixing them by putting the right subject next to the modifier.
- Plural and possessive nouns: distinguishing a plain plural from a singular possessive and a plural possessive, placing the apostrophe correctly, and handling its versus it's, on Digital SAT form questions.
A focused answer to the Digital SAT apostrophe skill: telling a plain plural from a singular possessive and a plural possessive, placing the apostrophe before or after the s, and distinguishing its from it's and their from they're.
Sources & how we know this
- Reading and Writing: Content Domains and Skills — College Board (2024)
- Digital SAT Sample Questions — College Board (2024)