Make Grades

Question

I know that: "make good grades" = "get good grades""make an A in the class" = "get an A in the class"But is the "make [GRADE]" pattern as informal as the "get [GRADE]" pattern?

Dimsumexpress · Accepted Answer

Both are fine. He gets / makes good grades even working 15 hours a week at a bakery.
Get - is more common and idiomatic. i.e. He got all A's this semester.

SheltieBites · Answer

So, "make grades" is the same as "get grades"

"He worked hard to make grades."

is the same as:

"He worked hard to get grades."
?

Khoff · Answer

SheltieBites"He worked hard to get grades."
?

He worked hard to get/make good grades. (You get some sort of grade even without working hard!)

SheltieBites · Answer

Then, both of:

"He worked hard to make grades."
"He worked hard to get grades."

are ambiguous?

Milandobrota · Answer

What he was trying to say is that the sentences don't make sense unless you say "good grades".

SheltieBites · Answer

http://www.nytimes.com/1987/02/06/sports/sports-of-the-times-ultimate-cool.html?pagewanted=2

"And he was the guy who didn't sulk and quit when he didn't make grades and lost eligibility for a time at Southern Illinois."

NY Times is not making sense.

Khoff · Answer

First, (although I didn't stress this before), In the U.S. we generally say "get good grades" or "get an A on the test" rather than use "make." "Make" might be more common in British English. It would be understood in the U.S., but is not as idiomatic. I think it might also be somewhat old-fashioned -- I remember my father talking about "making an A," but I would never say it that way.

Next, context is important. I thought that "He worked hard to make/get grades," seemed strange without a qualifier -- "He worked hard to get good grades/better grades/passing grades/grades that would impress his parents/"etc. But I suppose that if you meant "whatever grades he got required hard work.", it would be fine to say "He worked hard to get grades." (Although if that was the meaning, I would probably say "He worked hard for his grades.")

In the quote from the NY TImes, the context is different -- a student has to maintain a certain grade average in order to be eligible to play on the team. Appaarently this referred to as "making grades." "He didn't make grades" means he didn't reach the minimum level of grades required to participate in the sport.

And, just for the record, I am a she, not a he.

Also, your sheltie is adorable.

SheltieBites · Answer

So, "make grades" is college lingo for "get the minimum grades for sports eligibility"?

Khoff · Answer

That's what I''m assuming from the NY TImes article.  (I guess if there are any college atheletes here on English Forums they can tell us if I'm right or wrong.)

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