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Angliholic Posted 18 years ago
Grammar

make the grade to be an air force pilot

0He didn't 01b00make the grade02b00 to be an air force pilot.02br
02br
00Hi,02br
02br
00Could I replace "make the grade" in the above with "make it?" If not, what does it mean? Thanks.0-
  

Top answer

0Hi Angliholic,02br 02br 00To me they're close but have a difference in focus. "Make it" focuses on the final decision, thumbs up or thumbs down. 02br 02br 00Best wishes, - A.

— Avangi

  • 0Hi Angliholic,02br 02br 00To me they're close but have a difference in focus.
  • "Make it" focuses on the final decision, thumbs up or thumbs down.
  • 02br 02br 00Best wishes, - A.
  • 0-
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4 Answers
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0Hi Angliholic,02br
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00To me they're close but have a difference in focus. "Make it" focuses on the final decision, thumbs up or thumbs down. "Make the grade" could be that too, but I think of it more as a day by day, hour by hour struggle to perform continuously according to very high standards.02br
02br
00Best wishes, - A. Hey, this was my lucky
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0I think a compact version would be:02br
01i00 He didn't make it to an/the air force pilot (position/rank). 02i02br
01i00He didn't make it to the rank of an air force pilot.02i0-
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0Just a point of order here. A pilot is not a rank. A rank is lieutenant, captain, colonel, etc. A pilot is a job.02br
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00Someone may not "make it" as a pilot because they get airsick, they don't have as good hand-eye coordination as hoped, can't pass an acedemic aspect, or any number of reasons. If you don't "make it," you try and don't succeed.02br
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0The01b00 rank of Pilot Officer 02b00was (and it may well still be), it seems, well established in the British Army:02br
0500240hrefhttp://www.google.com/search?hl=en&q=site%3Abbc.co.uk+%22rank+of+pilot%22+&btnG=Search
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