chalk

Everyday

1. Chalk is a soft white rock made from tiny shells of sea creatures. tree →
2. Chalk is a stick made of this or similar stuff, used for writing on a blackboard or drawing on the ground. tree →
3. To chalk something is to write or draw it with chalk. tree →

In the lessons

In science lessons chalk is a soft sedimentary rock (calcium carbonate); the White Cliffs of Dover are chalk. In school life teachers write with chalk on a blackboard; children draw hopscotch with chalk. Phrases: a piece of chalk, chalk and cheese (very different), chalk up (score or achieve), chalk drawings.

Examples

• The teacher wrote on the board with chalk. tree →
• We drew a hopscotch grid with chalk. tree →
• Can I have a piece of chalk? tree →
• The White Cliffs of Dover are made of chalk. tree →
• Chalk is a soft rock. tree →
• The twins are like chalk and cheese. tree →
• Our team chalked up another win. tree →
• He sat down to work out his sum with a piece of chalk on a smooth stone. tree →

Note

The «l» is silent: say «chawk». As a material it is uncountable (a piece of chalk, some chalk); coloured sticks can be «chalks». «Like chalk and cheese» means completely different. Chalk is soft and wears away easily — a test in rock lessons.