pretty good grades

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "pretty good grades" is correct and usable in written English.
It can be used to describe academic performance that is above average but not necessarily outstanding. Example: "After studying hard all semester, I was pleased to see that I received pretty good grades on my report card."

✓ Grammatically correct

Academia

News & Media

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

4 human-written examples

Now: "I kind of slacked off when I was a soph, so I studied this year and got pretty good grades.

The New York Times - Magazine

I got pretty good grades.

Huffington Post

Over the course of four seasons, creator and host Nathan Fielder used his "pretty good grades" in Canadian business school to convince small business owners to let him rebrand their businesses in legendary so-dumb-they're-smart schemes.

Vice

My father wasn't wealthy enough to pay anyone off so that possibility is out of the question but I do wonder what might've happened to me if I weren't a middle class kid who got pretty good grades and earned National Merit Commended Scholar status.

Vice

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

56 human-written examples

I think on substance he gets a pretty good grade.

The New Yorker

"And B+ is a pretty good grade for government Web sites".

The New York Times

There's a lot of work left to be done, but so far I'd give implementation a pretty good grade.

The Washington Post

Last week, the report cards, that had been notoriously unfair, were given a pretty good grade.

Huffington Post

FYI: she got a D on the test, which is a pretty good grade because the 'D' stands for Dance.

Huffington Post

"But I look pretty good when I'm graded on a curve".

The New Yorker

At the post-fight press conference, Mayweather, who likes to proclaim himself "The Best Ever," gave himself a grade of pretty good.

The New Yorker

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Use "pretty good grades" when you want to describe academic performance that is better than average but not exceptional. It's suitable for informal contexts or when you want to downplay the achievement slightly.

Common error

Avoid using "pretty good grades" in formal documents or situations where a high level of achievement needs to be emphasized. Opt for stronger terms like "excellent grades" or "outstanding academic performance" in those contexts.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "pretty good grades" functions as a pre-modifying adjective phrase describing the noun "grades". It indicates a level of academic performance that is above average but not necessarily outstanding. Ludwig AI confirms that is correct and usable.

Expression frequency: Rare

Frequent in

News & Media

50%

Academia

50%

Science

0%

Less common in

Formal & Business

0%

Wiki

0%

Encyclopedias

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, "pretty good grades" is a phrase used to describe academic performance that is better than average but not exceptional. Ludwig AI confirms it is grammatically correct and usable in a variety of contexts, although it leans toward the informal side. The phrase is more common in News & Media and Academia. If you need a more formal alternative, consider phrases like "commendable grades" or "above average grades". While "pretty good grades" is perfectly acceptable in many situations, be mindful of the context and choose the most appropriate wording to accurately reflect the level of achievement.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

quite good grades

Replaces "pretty" with "quite", indicating a slightly higher degree of goodness.

fairly good grades

Substitutes "pretty" with "fairly", suggesting a similar level of academic achievement.

relatively good grades

Uses "relatively" instead of "pretty", implying a comparison to a certain standard.

decent grades

Employs "decent" to convey a moderately good level of grades.

respectable grades

Replaces "pretty good" with "respectable", emphasizing the grades' worthiness of respect.

above average grades

More explicitly states that the grades are higher than the average.

commendable grades

Indicates grades that are worthy of praise, elevating the achievement.

satisfactory grades

Suggests that the grades meet the required expectations or standards.

noteworthy grades

Highlights that the grades are worthy of attention.

creditable grades

Implies that the grades are deserving of credit or recognition.

FAQs

How can I describe grades that are better than average without sounding arrogant?

You can use phrases like "fairly good grades", "decent grades", or "respectable grades" to convey a positive academic performance in a modest way.

What's the difference between "pretty good grades" and "excellent grades"?

"Pretty good grades" suggests an above-average performance, while "excellent grades" implies a very high level of achievement. The choice depends on the actual performance you want to describe.

Is it appropriate to use "pretty good grades" in a formal setting?

While grammatically correct, "pretty good grades" might be perceived as informal. For formal settings, consider using more professional terms like "commendable grades" or "above average grades".

What are some alternative ways to say someone achieved "pretty good grades"?

Instead of saying someone got "pretty good grades", you could say they "achieved respectable grades", "obtained decent grades", or "performed above average".