<p>Saif knew that the other applicants weren't as good as him, so he wasn't surprised when the company offered him the lucrative position.</p>
<p>I had no error for this one, but the answer is him. Why is him not right?</p>
<p>“As good as him” should be “as good as he.”</p>
<p>Using the subjective case (he) and using the objective case (him) have distinct purposes.</p>
<p>For example, I love you more than him means something different from I love you more than he. The former compares the objective cases, “you” and “him,” while the latter compares the subjective cases, “I” and “he.” The latter effectively means I love you more than he does, and the former effectively means I love you more than I love him. “Than” is used as a conjunction in the latter case; “than” is used as a preposition in the former case.
(Source: [Case</a>. Fowler, H. W. 1908. The King’s English](<a href=“Authors - Collection at Bartleby.com”>CASE - Collection at Bartleby.com))</p>
<p>Similarly, since Saif is the subject of the sentence and he is comparing the object (“the other applicants”) to “he” himself, you would have to use the subjective case. You cannot use the objective case (“him”) because the second “as” is not a preposition here; it is a conjunction. </p>
<p>INCORRECT: “Saif knew that the other applicants weren’t as good as him.”
CORRECT: “Saif knew that the other applicants weren’t as good as he.”</p>
<p>I doubt this type of problem would appear on the SAT.</p>
<p>^you would make an awesome English grammar teacher…</p>
<p>Ah that makes perfect sense. Thanks!</p>
<p>Is this collegeboard material?</p>
<p>This question was in my Princeton Review book</p>
<p>FYI, this is a pretty complicated topic. The rule is different when words like “than,” “like,” etc. are involved depending on whether they are used as prepositions or conjunctions. Don’t worry though because it virtually won’t ever be on the SAT.</p>