it was that he exchanged was for were , despite the fact that they 'd sent him to private school and where she knew , definitely , that he 'd learned simple grammar and tense , despite the fact that they 'd gotten him a tutor for ninth-grade english and tenth-grade geometry and eleventh-grade history , english again , and economics , and in twelfth grade just throwing in the towel and crossing their fingers and toes that he did well enough to squeak by and graduate .