What are the definitions of “chalk up to”?
Learn how to use these expressions through these examples
- 1Explain the reason for a problem.
They CHALKED the poor sales UP TO the lower numbers of tourists visiting this year.
What’s the most common meaning of the phrasal verb “chalk up to”?
The most common meaning of the phrasal verb chalk up to is to attribute or explain the reason for a problem, situation, or outcome. It is often used to describe the cause of something, especially when trying to understand why something happened.
What are the different verb forms of “chalk up to”?
| Root Verb | chalk up to |
| Third Person Singular Present | chalks up to |
| Present Participle | chalking up to |
| Simple Past | chalked up to |
| Past Participle | chalked up to |
Example
We can chalk up the team's success to their hard work and dedication.
Example
She chalks up her good grades to consistent studying.
Example
He is chalking up the delay to bad weather.
Example
They chalked up the poor sales to the lower numbers of tourists visiting this year.
Example
The mistakes were chalked up to a lack of experience.
What kind of phrasal verb is “chalk up to”?
Notes from a Native English Speaker
What is a transitive and intransitive verb? - A transitive verb always has an object after it. (Example: Sam bought a car.) - An intransitive verb never has an object.(Example: She laughed loudly.)
Transitive verb
“chalk up to” is a transitive phrasal verb because it requires a direct object to complete its meaning. The direct object specifies what is being removed, obtained, or eliminated.
Example
We chalked up the team's success to their hard work.
Example
She chalked up her good grades to consistent studying.
Notes from a Native English Speaker
What is a separable and inseparable phrasal verb? - A “separable phrasal verb” can be separated with an object between the verb and particle. - An “inseparable phrasal verb” cannot be separated by an object.
Inseparable
“chalk up to” is an inseparable phrasal verb. This means that you can’t place an object between the verb and the particle, otherwise, it changes the meaning of the phrasal verb.
Example
We chalked up the team's success to their hard work.
Example
She chalked up her good grades to consistent studying.
What are common phrases and expressions that include the phrasal verb “chalk up to”?
Chalk up a victory
Achieve a win or success in a competition or challenge.
Example
The team chalked up another victory in the tournament.
Chalk up a loss
Accept a defeat or failure in a competition or challenge.
Example
They had to chalk up a loss after the tough game.
Chalk up experience
Gain experience or knowledge from a situation or event.
Example
Even though the project failed, we can still chalk up some valuable experience.
Good things to know
Does “chalk up to” have an informal or formal tone?
Chalk up to is generally considered informal and is more commonly used in everyday conversations. In more formal settings, it is better to use alternative phrases such as 'attribute to' or 'ascribe to' when explaining the reason for a problem or situation.
What are synonyms of antonyms to the phrasal verb “chalk up to”?
Synonyms
- attribute to
- ascribe to
- credit to
- assign to
- impute to
- refer to
- explain by
Antonyms
- discredit
- deny
- disprove
- contradict
- disclaim
- refute
- rebut
- reject
