Here's why:

* Shape: Pencils maintain a definite shape. They don't flow or spread out like liquids or gases.

* Volume: They have a fixed volume, meaning they take up a specific amount of space.

* Compressibility: Pencils are not easily compressible. You can't easily squeeze them into a smaller space.

While the lead inside a pencil is made of graphite, which is a form of carbon, graphite itself can have properties that make it seem like it's between a solid and a liquid. This is because the carbon atoms in graphite are arranged in sheets that can slide past each other, giving graphite some degree of slipperiness.