earned grades

USAGE SUMMARY

"earned grades" is a grammatically correct phrase and can be used in written English.
It is typically used when referring to a student's grades that they have obtained through their efforts and hard work, rather than being given or gifted. Example: "Samantha takes pride in her earned grades, knowing that she worked hard to achieve them."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Science

Wiki

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

8 human-written examples

Compared with 45 percent in the 2008-9 analysis, 40 percent of the 331 high schools that earned grades got A's on their 2009-10 school report cards.

The New York Times

The study focused on nearly 40,000 students from the high school classes of 2010 to 2012 who had earned grades and SAT scores that qualified them for more than 200 of the nation's most selective colleges.

The New York Times

Mr. Thrun sent the 23,000 students who completed the Artificial Intelligence course a PDF file (suitable for framing) by e-mail showing their percentile score, but not the Stanford name; 248 students, none from Stanford, earned grades of 100 percent.

The New York Times

Only five of those 25 earned grades of C or better -- Dunkin Donuts and McDonald's rounded out the top five with C grades.

Los Angeles Times

About 6% of the system earned grades of D and F, according to a Times analysis of Department of Water and Power data.

Los Angeles Times

On Education Week's 2013 Quality Counts report card, both states earned grades of C+ overall, but only D in K-12 student achievement.

Huffington Post

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

50 human-written examples

Education wasn't just something you did in a classroom to earn grades.

The New York Times

The District of Columbia and New York earn grades of "A-." Eleven states earn grades of "B+," "B" or "B-." And it is downhill from there.

Huffington Post

We're all familiar with earning grades in school but did you know embryos are graded, too?

Huffington Post

Instead of taking tests and earning grades, students perform specific tasks that demonstrate competence in areas that are deemed essential for success.

Huffington Post

You definitely compete for grades in engineering; whereas you earn grades in other disciplines … I have to get one point higher on the test than the next guy so I can get the higher grade.

CBE Life Sciences Education

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Use "earned grades" when you want to emphasize that the grades were a result of effort and hard work, rather than being given freely or due to other factors. It conveys a sense of accomplishment and deservedness.

Common error

Avoid using "earned grades" when the context suggests that students are automatically entitled to good grades regardless of effort. Using it in such cases can undermine the value of hard work and achievement.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "earned grades" functions as a description of academic performance, emphasizing that the grades were obtained through effort and merit. As Ludwig AI confirms, this phrase is grammatically correct and widely understood.

Expression frequency: Uncommon

Frequent in

News & Media

40%

Science

35%

Wiki

25%

Less common in

Formal & Business

0%

Academia

0%

Encyclopedias

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, "earned grades" is a grammatically sound phrase signifying academic performance achieved through hard work and effort. As Ludwig AI indicates, the phrase is correct and understandable. Its usage is more frequent in news and media, and scientific contexts. When using this phrase, be mindful to emphasize the merit and effort involved in obtaining the grades, and avoid implying entitlement. Alternatives like "achieved grades" and "obtained grades" can be used to convey similar meanings. While "hard-earned grades" is not incorrect, it can be somewhat redundant.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

achieved grades

Replaces "earned" with "achieved", emphasizing the accomplishment of getting the grades.

obtained grades

Substitutes "earned" with "obtained", highlighting the acquisition of the grades.

received grades

Replaces "earned" with "received", focusing on the act of getting the grades, but may not emphasize effort as much.

got grades through hard work

Adds the element of "hard work" to explicitly show how the grades were earned.

achieved good marks

Uses "marks" instead of "grades" and "achieved" instead of "earned".

attained scores

Substitutes "grades" with "scores" and "earned" with "attained".

secured passing grades

Highlights the act of securing grades sufficient to pass.

deserved grades

Emphasizes that the grades were warranted based on effort or performance.

worked for grades

Focuses solely on the effort expended to get the grades.

merited grades

Implies the grades were justified based on performance or effort.

FAQs

How can I use "earned grades" in a sentence?

You can use "earned grades" to emphasize that someone's academic performance is a result of their effort. For example, "She was proud of the grades she "earned" this semester after studying diligently."

What's a good alternative to "earned grades" that still implies effort?

Alternatives that convey a similar meaning include "achieved grades", which emphasizes the accomplishment, and "obtained grades", which highlights the acquisition through effort.

Is it redundant to say 'hard-earned grades'?

While "hard-earned grades" isn't grammatically incorrect, it can be somewhat redundant. The phrase "earned grades" already implies effort, so adding "hard" might be unnecessary unless you want to strongly emphasize the difficulty.

What is the difference between "earned grades" and "received grades"?

The phrase "earned grades" implies that the grades were the result of hard work and effort. "Received grades", on the other hand, simply indicates that the grades were given, without necessarily implying effort or merit.