SAT Reading & Writing: Use correct pronoun case (I vs. me, who vs. whom)
28+ practice questions in Praczo
The concept, explained
- 1
Subjective pronouns (I, he, she, we, they, who) do the action. Objective pronouns (me, him, her, us, them, whom) receive the action or follow a preposition.
- 2
In compound phrases ("John and I"/"John and me"), drop the other person to test: "between you and me" works because "between me" is correct.
- 3
"Who" is a subject; "whom" is an object. Rewrite the clause: "He gave the book to [who/whom]" — "to him" → use "whom."
- 4
After linking verbs ("It is I/me"), formal usage prefers the subjective ("It is I"); informal usage accepts the objective ("It is me"). The SAT follows formal rules.
- ✗ Always choosing "I" because it sounds more formal (e.g., "between you and I" — incorrect; should be "me").
- ✗ Treating "who" as always correct and "whom" as archaic. The SAT tests both precisely.
SAT-style practice
Which choice best completes the sentence? "The committee awarded the scholarship to the applicant _____ had the most relevant experience."
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