diff --git a/grade/export/grade_export_form.php b/grade/export/grade_export_form.php
index ac7f5217eac..507ce587188 100755
--- a/grade/export/grade_export_form.php
+++ b/grade/export/grade_export_form.php
@@ -7,6 +7,12 @@ class grade_export_form extends moodleform {
         include_once($CFG->libdir.'/pear/HTML/QuickForm/advcheckbox.php');
         $mform =& $this->_form;
         $mform->addElement('header', 'general', get_string('gradeitemsinc', 'grades')); // TODO: localize
+
+        $mform->addElement('checkbox', 'export_letters', get_string('exportletters', 'grades'));
+        $mform->setDefault('export_letters', 0);
+        $mform->setHelpButton('export_letters', array(false, get_string('exportletters', 'grades'),
+                          false, true, false, get_string("exportlettershelp", 'grades')));
+
         $id = $this->_customdata['id']; // course id
         $mform->addElement('hidden', 'id', $id);
         if ($grade_items = grade_item::fetch_all(array('courseid'=>$id))) {
@@ -19,4 +25,4 @@ class grade_export_form extends moodleform {
         $this->add_action_buttons(false, get_string('submit'));
     }
 }
-?>
\ No newline at end of file
+?>
diff --git a/grade/export/lib.php b/grade/export/lib.php
index 437da91d2d5..0081ef8a81d 100755
--- a/grade/export/lib.php
+++ b/grade/export/lib.php
@@ -25,6 +25,7 @@
 
 require_once($CFG->dirroot.'/lib/gradelib.php');
 require_once($CFG->dirroot.'/grade/lib.php');
+
 /**
  * Prints all grade items for selection
  * @input int id - course id
@@ -62,10 +63,18 @@ class grade_export {
 
     /**
      * Constructor should set up all the private variables ready to be pulled
-     * @input int id - course id
-     * @input string itemids - comma separated value of itemids to process for this export
+     * @param int $id course id
+     * @param string $itemids comma separated value of itemids to process for this export
+     * @param boolean $export_letters Whether to export letter grade_items as literal letters, or as numerical values
+     * @note Exporting as letters will lead to data loss if that exported set it re-imported.
      */
-    function grade_export($id, $itemids = '') {
+    function grade_export($id, $itemids = '', $export_letters=false) {
+
+        if ($export_letters) {
+            require_once($CFG->dirroot . '/grade/report/lib.php');
+            $report = new grade_report();
+            $letters = $report->get_grade_letters();
+        }
 
         $this->strgrades = get_string("grades");
         $this->strgrade = get_string("grade");
@@ -127,14 +136,15 @@ class grade_export {
             }
         } else {
             // else we get all items for this course
-            $gradeitems = grade_grade::fetch_all(array('courseid'=>$this->id));
+            $gradeitems = grade_item::fetch_all(array('courseid'=>$this->id));
         }
 
         if ($gradeitems) {
             foreach ($gradeitems as $gradeitem) {
+                $grade_item_displaytype = $report->get_pref('gradedisplaytype', $gradeitem->id);
 
                 // load as an array of grade_final objects
-                if ($itemgrades = $gradeitem -> get_final()) {
+                if ($itemgrades = $gradeitem->get_final()) {
 
                     $this->columns[$gradeitem->id] = "$gradeitem->itemmodule: ".$gradeitem->get_name()." - $gradeitem->grademax";
 
@@ -149,12 +159,17 @@ class grade_export {
                     if (!empty($this->students)) {
                         foreach ($this->students as $student) {
                             unset($studentgrade);
-                            // add support for comment here MDL-9634
+                            // TODO add support for comment here MDL-9634
 
                             if (!empty($itemgrades[$student->id])) {
                                 $studentgrade = $itemgrades[$student->id];
                             }
 
+                            // TODO Convert final grade to letter if export option is on, and grade_item is set to letter type MDL-10490
+                            if ($grade_item_displaytype == GRADE_REPORT_GRADE_DISPLAY_TYPE_LETTER && $export_letters) {
+                                $studentgrade->finalgrade = $studentgrade->get_letter($letters);
+                            }
+
                             if (!empty($studentgrade->finalgrade)) {
                                 $this->grades[$student->id][$gradeitem->id] = $currentstudentgrade = $studentgrade->finalgrade;
                             } else {
@@ -162,11 +177,16 @@ class grade_export {
                                 $this->gradeshtml[$student->id][$gradeitem->id] = "";
                             }
                             if (!empty($maxgrade)) {
-                                $this->totals[$student->id] = (float)($this->totals[$student->id]) + (float)($currentstudentgrade);
+                                $total = (float)($this->totals[$student->id]) + (float)($currentstudentgrade);
                             } else {
-                                $this->totals[$student->id] = (float)($this->totals[$student->id]) + 0;
+                                $total = (float)($this->totals[$student->id]) + 0;
                             }
 
+                            if ($export_letters) {
+                                $total = grade_grade::get_letter($letters, $total, $gradeitem->grademin, $gradeitem->grademax);
+                            }
+                            $this->totals[$student->id] = $total;
+
                             if (!empty($comment)) {
                                 // load comments here
                                 if ($studentgrade) {
@@ -186,12 +206,14 @@ class grade_export {
     }
 
     /**
-     * To be implemented by child classes
+     * To be implemented by child classe
+     * TODO finish PHPdocs
      */
     function print_grades() { }
 
     /**
      * Displays all the grades on screen as a feedback mechanism
+     * TODO finish PHPdoc
      */
     function display_grades($feedback=false) {
         echo '<table>';
diff --git a/grade/export/ods/index.php b/grade/export/ods/index.php
index 9f5d6095ee1..2c366963b43 100755
--- a/grade/export/ods/index.php
+++ b/grade/export/ods/index.php
@@ -58,7 +58,7 @@ if (($data = data_submitted()) && confirm_sesskey()) {
 
     // print the grades on screen for feedbacks
 
-    $export = new grade_export($id, $data->itemids);
+    $export = new grade_export($id, $data->itemids, $data->export_letters);
     $export->display_grades($feedback);
 
     // this redirect should trigger a download prompt
diff --git a/grade/export/txt/index.php b/grade/export/txt/index.php
index 71da3bced86..40e2e14d9db 100755
--- a/grade/export/txt/index.php
+++ b/grade/export/txt/index.php
@@ -57,7 +57,7 @@ if (($data = data_submitted()) && confirm_sesskey()) {
         $itemidsurl = implode(",",$data->itemids);
     }
 
-    $export = new grade_export($id, $data->itemids);
+    $export = new grade_export($id, $data->itemids, $data->export_letters);
     $export->display_grades($feedback);
 
     // this redirect should trigger a download prompt
diff --git a/grade/export/xls/index.php b/grade/export/xls/index.php
index ee29dc67733..665237d78e9 100755
--- a/grade/export/xls/index.php
+++ b/grade/export/xls/index.php
@@ -58,7 +58,7 @@ if (($data = data_submitted()) && confirm_sesskey()) {
 
     // print the grades on screen for feedbacks
 
-    $export = new grade_export($id, $data->itemids);
+    $export = new grade_export($id, $data->itemids, $data->export_letters);
     $export->display_grades($feedback);
 
     // this redirect should trigger a download prompt
diff --git a/grade/export/xml/index.php b/grade/export/xml/index.php
index 991ffc9c905..9eb1917e628 100755
--- a/grade/export/xml/index.php
+++ b/grade/export/xml/index.php
@@ -58,7 +58,7 @@ if (($data = data_submitted()) && confirm_sesskey()) {
 
     // print the grades on screen for feedbacks
 
-    $export = new grade_export($id, $data->itemids);
+    $export = new grade_export($id, $data->itemids, $data->export_letters);
     $export->display_grades($feedback);
 
     // this redirect should trigger a download prompt
diff --git a/grade/import/lib.php b/grade/import/lib.php
index d9b31d69999..d0ab6cc11b2 100755
--- a/grade/import/lib.php
+++ b/grade/import/lib.php
@@ -30,7 +30,7 @@ function grade_import_commit($courseid, $importcode) {
 
             if ($grades = get_records('grade_import_values', 'newgradeitem', $newitem->id)) {
 
-                // make the grardes array for update_grade
+                // make the grades array for update_grade
 
                 // find the max instance number of 'manual' grade item
                 // and increment that number by 1 by hand
@@ -49,6 +49,8 @@ function grade_import_commit($courseid, $importcode) {
                 }
 
                 $instances[] = $instance;
+
+                // TODO clean up following comment?
                 // if fails, deletes all the created grade_items and grades
 
                 /// create a new grade item for this
@@ -66,7 +68,7 @@ function grade_import_commit($courseid, $importcode) {
                 if ($failed) {
                     foreach ($instances as $instance) {
                         $gradeitem = new grade_item(array('courseid'=>$courseid, 'itemtype'=>'manual', 'iteminstance'=>$instance));
-                        // this method does not seem to delete all the raw grades and the item itself
+                        // TODO this method does not seem to delete all the raw grades and the item itself
                         // which I think should be deleted in this case, can I use sql directly here?
                         $gradeitem->delete();
                     }
@@ -96,7 +98,7 @@ function grade_import_commit($courseid, $importcode) {
             // get all grades with this item
             if ($grades = get_records('grade_import_values', 'itemid', $itemid)) {
 
-                // make the grardes array for update_grade
+                // make the grades array for update_grade
                 foreach ($grades as $grade) {
                     if (!$gradeitem->update_final_grade($grade->userid, $grade->finalgrade, NULL, NULL, $grade->feedback)) {
                         $failed = 1;
@@ -145,4 +147,4 @@ function my_file_get_contents($filename, $use_include_path = 0) {
     }
     return $data;
 }
-?>
\ No newline at end of file
+?>