When you need this
Grades come up all the time at an American university, and the system can confuse new international students. Most schools use letters. A is the top grade, then B, C and D. F means you failed. A plus or minus adds a little detail: a B plus is a strong B.
Your GPA (grade point average) is the average of all your grades as one number, usually from 0 to 4.0. An A counts as 4, a B as 3, and so on. Employers and graduate schools often ask for it. British universities talk about "marks" instead of grades, and a degree has a class, such as a "first" or a "two-one".
Be careful when you ask about someone else's grade. Close friends compare, but with a new classmate "How did it go?" is safer than "What did you get?" It lets them share as much as they want.
Phrases
gives your grade for one piece of work
asks someone's grade; best with friends
the softer question; they choose what to share
you got a grade good enough to continue
your grade was too low
the average of all your grades, from 0 to 4.0
make a low grade higher with more work
extra work that adds points to your grade
change grades so the class average looks normal
the class has no letter grade, only pass or fail
the grade is good enough for you
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Practice · 3 min
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Say it today
Use it once in a real conversation before tomorrow. Out loud counts, even to yourself.