SAT Writing - Pronouns

singular/plural: each

singular (short for each one)

singular/plural: every

singular (short for every one)

what pronoun does "each" take?

it

what pronoun does "every" take?

he or she

given the choice between a pronoun and a noun naming a specific person or thing, which option will virtually always be correct?

the specific noun (e.g. bicycle riders vs they)

within a sentence or paragraph, what rule does the use of "one, you, we" follow? (even though they can all be used to talk about people in general)

they cannot be mixed and matched with one another, the sentence must remain parallel

which sentence is correct? explain the common mistake.

1) Orville Wright, along with his brother, are considered inventors of the airplane.

2) Orville Wright, along with his brother, is considered an inventor of the airplane.

option 2 is correct - construction appears to be plural but is in fact singular

people/things: who

people

Correct: Employees who participate in professional development can acquire new skills and associate with other workers in their industries.

people/things: whom

people

people/things: which

things

Incorrect: Employees which participate in professional development can acquire new skills and associate with other workers in their industries.

people/things: whose (explain why)

both people or things (it is the possessive form of both who and which)

who is used before a ______

verb

Incorrect: One of the first screenwriters to include details such as stage directions in her work was June Mathis, whom helped make film into an art form.

Correct: One of the first screenwriters to include details such as stage directions in her work was June Mathis, who helped make film into an art form.

whom is used after a _______

preposition

Incorrect: Among Emily Dickinson's favorite writing partners was her sister-in-law, Susan Huntington, with who she exchanged hundreds of letters.

Correct: Among Emily Dickinson's favorite writing partners was her sister-in-law, Susan Huntington, with whom she exchanged hundreds of letters.

where refers to ______, and does not refer to _____

places (physical locations) ONLY - not books, films, or TV programs

Incorrect: The Middle Ages was a period where farmers were bound to the land.

Correct: The Middle Ages was a period when/in which farmers were bound to the land.

when refers to ____ and ____ only

times and events

preposition+which (e.g. in which, during which, to which) can be used in place of these 2 things

where or when

Incorrect: New York is a city which many people travel by subway rather than by car.

Correct: New York is a city in which many people travel by subway rather than by car.

when preposition+which is used, it is incorrect to ______

incorrect to also place a preposition at the end of the clause or sentence (e.g. Performance artist Anna Deveare Smith is known for her one-woman "documentary plays" in which she plays a wide array of characters in)