[Grammar] In spite of using to hate Math, I never failed a year.

[beachboy]

Although I used to hate Math, I never failed a year.


I have two questions:

1 - Instead of saying Although I used to hate Math, can I say In spite of using to hate Math, I never failed a year? I've never seen it, it sounds awkward....
2 - Is it right to say "I never failed a year"? How can I say it properly?

 

[GoesStation]

"Math" ("maths" in British English) is not a proper noun. It should be capitalized only when it's the first word of a sentence.

 

[beachboy]

I see. And what about failing a year? Is it correct?

 

[emsr2d2]

If you have an end-of-year exam every year in the subject, yes.

 

[beachboy]

And if I fail this end-of-the-year exam, can I say that I'll have to "repeat the year"? How can I say it properly?

 

[emsr2d2]

I believe that's the correct term, yes. However, I don't know if failing just the maths exam would mean that you had to repeat the entire year in every subject. In the UK, that's not how it works. If a child has to repeat a year, they have to join all the students a year younger than them and study all their classes with those people. They can't just repeat maths, for example, but continue with their other subjects as planned.

 

[beachboy]

It used to be like this in Brazil. At least, when I was a student, hundreds of years ago. Not sure about how it works nowadays, I'd have to check it out. By the way, I never had to repeat the year. Just for the record. ;-)