grading
grading — noun
1. the process of checking a student's work — such as tests, essays, or homework —
the process of checking a student's work — such as tests, essays, or homework — and giving it a score or mark that reflects how well it was done
The teacher spent the whole weekend on grading, so her students got their essay scores back on Monday.
uncountable noun: spent the weekend on grading
Fair grading is important because a low score can discourage a student from trying harder.
Some schools have moved away from letter-based grading and now use written comments instead.
A computer program now handles the grading of multiple-choice tests at the university.
用法筆記
Uncountable noun — you cannot say 'a grading' or 'gradings'. Refers to the activity as a whole, not an individual instance.
常見錯誤
grading — verb
1. to read through a student's answers or written task and decide on a mark or scor
to read through a student's answers or written task and decide on a mark or score that reflects how well they have done
Professor Okafor spent three hours grading fifty exam papers before the end of term.
grade + noun (exam papers)
Amir's history essay was graded A-minus because it had strong arguments but a few spelling mistakes.
passive: was graded + score
The teaching assistant graded the maths homework over the weekend so the students could see their mistakes on Monday.
Diego is new to teaching and finds grading creative writing much harder than grading grammar exercises.
文法句型
grade + noun
用法筆記
This is the most common sense of 'grade' for language learners. It always refers to school or academic work. When the focus is on correcting mistakes rather than assigning a score, 'mark' (British) or 'correct' is also used.
常見錯誤
2. to separate items, products, or people into groups based on their quality, size,
to separate items, products, or people into groups based on their quality, size, importance, or another shared feature
The farm grades its eggs by size, putting large ones in blue cartons and small ones in white cartons.
grade + noun + by + noun phrase
Diamonds are graded according to four criteria: cut, colour, clarity, and carat weight.
passive + according to
The factory has a machine that grades fruit by colour, sending green apples to one bin and red ones to another.
Olga graded the job applications into three piles: excellent, possible, and unsuitable.
Hospitals grade emergency cases by severity so that the most critical patients receive care first.
- mix
to combine items without regard for type or quality
文法句型
grade + noun + by/according to + noun
用法筆記
Often used in passive voice ('are graded by…', 'is graded according to…'). The preposition that follows is typically 'by', 'according to', or 'into'.
常見錯誤
3. to make a piece of ground flat or smooth, removing bumps and filling holes so th
to make a piece of ground flat or smooth, removing bumps and filling holes so the surface has a steady slope or is completely level
Workers graded the parking lot before paving it, so rainwater would flow toward the drains.
grade + noun (parking lot) for drainage
The construction crew graded the land behind the school so a new sports field could be built there.
Before laying a patio, you need to grade the soil so that water runs away from the house.
The hillside was carefully graded to create flat terraces for planting rice.
- dig up
to break up a flat surface and create holes or unevenness
文法句型
grade + noun
用法筆記
Common in construction, landscaping, and civil engineering contexts. The object is always land, soil, a road, or a similar ground surface — never a physical object like wood or metal.
常見錯誤
4. to mix or combine two or more things so that the separate parts are no longer no
to mix or combine two or more things so that the separate parts are no longer noticeable — for example, blending colours or flavours in a gradual way
The lighting technician graded the cool white light into warm amber across the stage, creating a smooth transition between the two colours.
grade + noun + into + noun (lighting/colour blending)
An experienced painter can grade one colour into another on the canvas, creating a smooth change from blue to green.
grade + noun + into + noun (colour blending)
The designer graded the background tones from dark grey at the bottom to pale white at the top.
- separate
to keep things apart rather than combine them
文法句型
grade + noun + into + noun
用法筆記
This sense is much less common than the sorting or marking meanings. It appears mainly in art, design, cooking, and colour-theory contexts.
常見錯誤
5. to be judged as having a particular level of quality, usually in a system where
to be judged as having a particular level of quality, usually in a system where things are ranked from best to worst
The beef grades as prime, which means it is the highest quality available in the market.
grade as + noun (quality level)
Only a small percentage of maple syrup grades as Grade A, making it sweeter and more expensive.
This cut of meat grades higher than the cheaper option because it has more marbling and tenderness.
文法句型
grade as + noun/adjective
grade + adverb
用法筆記
Intransitive and linking — no direct object. The preposition 'as' introduces the quality level. This sense is most common in American English descriptions of agricultural products like meat, eggs, or maple syrup.