She's in (the) fifth grade

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1

I saw many different sentences below, but I’d like to know if I should or have to use “the” in front of fifth grade. Or both are okay?

  1. She’s in the fifth grade.
  2. Next week, I start fifth grade.
  3. She was your best friend in fifth grade.
    Thank you!!

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2

To my ear, all of the sentences work either with or without the “the.” But, I don’t know the rules, just how it sounds.

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3

Same. They both make sense to me. It’s one of those little things that even natives can’t really explain and it’s another one of those weird English exceptions to the rule.

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4

All those forms are fine. The “the” is optional.

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