Here's why:
* Formal vs. Informal: "That person was me" sounds more informal and might be used in casual conversation.
* Subject-Verb Agreement: "That person" is the subject, and "was" is the verb. The pronoun "me" acts as the predicate nominative, which means it renames the subject. In formal English, the nominative case "I" is often preferred.
Here are some more common and formal ways to say the same thing:
* That person was I.
* I was that person.
* That was me.
The best choice depends on the context and desired tone.