Meaning & use
graded
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“graded” is a form of “grade”. See that entry for the full set of meanings.
Meanings
adjectivebefore a noun
arranged in levels of difficulty or quality, especially for learners or exams.
Grammar: Used before a noun: graded readers, graded tasks. It describes the thing, not the person.
Patterns
- graded + noun
The teacher gave us graded exercises, starting with easy ones.
She reads graded books to improve her English step by step.
The course uses graded tests to check your progress.
adjectivebefore a noun
checked and given a mark or score by a teacher or judge.
Grammar: Comes from the verb grade; often used for schoolwork or competitions.
Patterns
- graded + noun
The graded essays were returned to the students.
He was happy with his graded performance in the competition.
Common combinations
- graded reader
- Graded readers use simple language for learners.
- graded exercise
- The workbook has graded exercises for each unit.
- graded test
- We took a graded test at the end of the term.
- graded paper
- The graded papers were put in our folders.
Synonyms and how they differ
- leveled
- Leveled is similar but often used for books arranged by reading level; graded is more common for tests and exercises.
- ranked
- Ranked means put in order from best to worst; graded means put into levels or given marks.
Word family
Commonly confused: graded or graduated?
graded vs graduated
Graduated means finished a course of study; graded means given a mark or arranged in levels.
Practice
Choose the best word: The teacher gave us ______ exercises to match our level.
Choose one answer.
Graded is the adjective that describes exercises arranged by level. Grade is a noun or verb, grading is a noun or present participle, and grades is a plural noun or verb form, so none fit before the noun exercises.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “graded”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.