What does ballast mean?
Word: Ballast
Part of Speech: Noun
Meaning: Ballast means heavy material such as stones or water, carried low in a ship to keep it steady.
How do you spell ballast?
Syllables: bal - last
Tricky part: Pupils hear one quick l sound and write balast, but the word needs a double l.
Watch out for: balast, bollast
Memory tip: A heavy iron ball rolling in a ship's hold is a good image: the word starts with that ball, so keep its double l.
Ballast in a sentence
Example 1: Without enough ballast, the empty cargo ship rolled in the waves.
Example 2: Old sailing ships often carried stones as ballast.
Example 3: Our model boat needed a little ballast before it would float upright.
Fun Fact
Modern ships usually use sea water as ballast, pumping it in and out of special tanks as their cargo changes.
Practise the CREST Way
Word Cookie
Insert the correct pair of letters to form a word:
ball_s_
a) a, d
b) e, t
c) u, t
d) a, t
Show answer
d) a, t. An a is the vowel here, and the word stops on a firm t.
Word Cookie
Find the extra letter in the word:
ballasst
a) s
b) t
c) a
d) l
Show answer
a) s. A single s is all the ending needs.
Mingle-Mangle
The sentence contains a jumbled word. Choose the word it hides:
The crew loaded sand as ltbslaa before the small boat left the jetty.
a) ballot
b) ballad
c) blanket
d) ballast
Show answer
d) ballast. The s in the jumble rules out ballad, ballot and blanket.
Spell-o-Spell
One of these words is spelt right. Pick the meaning of that word.
1. ancher 2. ballast 3. compas 4. harber
a) a sheltered place where boats can stay
b) a heavy load carried for balance rather than as cargo
c) a heavy object dropped to hold a boat in place
d) an instrument with a needle that points north
Show answer
b) a heavy load carried for balance rather than as cargo. Anchor ends in or, compass has a double s and harbour takes the British our, so ballast is right.
Multiple Choice Questions
1. A hot-air balloon pilot throws some sandbag ballast over the side. What will the balloon do?
a) rise higher
b) turn round
c) sink faster
d) stop moving
Show answer
a) rise higher
2. Railway engineers also use ballast. What is it in their work?
a) the rounded roof of a railway station
b) the electric cable above the engine
c) the bed of crushed stones under the track
d) the painted signal at the platform end
Show answer
c) the bed of crushed stones under the track
