SAT Pronouns: Lesson, Practice Problems & Video Explanations

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By Glyn Caddell, BSME · Author of Digital SAT Math Secrets · Tutoring since 2008 — Updated August 13, 2026

Pronoun questions ask students to choose the correct pronoun based on the noun or nouns being referenced in the sentence. Students need to identify the antecedent and make sure the pronoun agrees with it. Pronoun questions appear on approximately 1.7% of the Digital SAT Reading & Writing section. These questions fall under Standard English Conventions according to the College Board categories.

Table of Contents

Pronouns Lesson
- What Do Pronoun Questions Look Like?
- How to Answer Pronoun Questions Correctly on the Digital SAT
Example
- Video Explanation
- Text Explanation
Practice Problems with Video Explanations
Common Mistakes
Related Topics

Pronouns Lesson

The lesson covers the types of pronoun questions that show up on the Digital SAT. It includes what pronoun questions look like and how to answer them correctly.

What Do Pronoun Questions Look Like?

You can identify these by looking at the answer choices. They will likely change a pronoun and possibly an associated verb.

For example:

he runs
she runs
they run
it runs

How to Answer Pronoun Questions Correctly on the Digital SAT

A pronoun must agree with the noun it refers to.

What Pronouns are Used for Things?

Use “it” when referring to a singular thing and “they” when referring to plural things.

“Its” is not a plural version or “it”. “Its” is the possessive form of “it”.

If you have to show possession for plural things, use “their”.

Yes, “they” and “them” can be used to refer to things, not just to people.

What is the General Rule for I vs Me & Who vs Whom?

There are several rules for “I vs me” and “who vs whom”. However, on the Digital SAT, knowing the general rule is enough. The general rule is: after a preposition use “me” or “whom” – not “I” or “who”

For example

for me	for whom
above me	above whom
below me	below whom
to me	to whom
before me	before whom
from me	from whom
with me	with whom
at me	at whom
by me	by whom

Missing/Ambiguous Pronouns

A pronoun must refer to a specific person, place or thing. If it is unclear what the pronoun refers to, choose an answer choice that uses the name of the specific person, place or thing.

Example

A museum digitized thousands of fragile photographs so that researchers could study them without handling the originals. Some images were scanned too quickly and appeared blurry, but a set of photographs from a 1920s expedition was captured with unusual clarity. The archivists noted that the photographs were valuable because _____ preserved details that were missing from the expedition’s written records.

Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?

A) it
B) their
C) they
D) its

Video Explanation

Text Explanation

Answer: C) they

The pronoun refers to the photographs, which is plural. Since the blank comes before the verb preserved, the sentence needs a plural subject pronoun:

the photographs were valuable because they preserved details

Why the others are wrong:

A) it → singular subject pronoun; does not agree with plural photographs
B) their → plural possessive pronoun; the sentence needs a subject pronoun
D) its → singular possessive pronoun; does not agree with plural photographs

Practice Problems with Video Explanations

Here is a set of practice Digital SAT pronoun practice problems. After selecting an answer, press “See Answer” to see the correct answer and a video explanation showing how to properly solve the questions. At the end of the set, after you press “Submit”, you’ll be able to see all of the questions, answers, and video explanations to review.

For more practice like this, enroll in our on-demand SAT prep course here: https://caddellprep.com/sat/prep/on-demand/

Common Mistakes

Two common mistakes students make when answering pronoun questions are mistaking “its” as the plural version of “it” and using “whom” instead of “who?.

Mistaking "Its" as the Plural Version of "It"

A common mistake on the Digital SAT is to choose “its” as the plural version of “it”. “They” or “them” can be used when referring to plural things. “They” and “them” are not just for referring to people.

Using "Whom" Instead of "Who"

A common mistake is to use “whom” instead of “who” and vice versa. The rule to remember is to use “whom” after a preposition, such as “to whom” or “with whom”.