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Difficulty: HardPhrasal Verbs and Prepositional Verbs

Complete the sentence below by supplying the correct particle to form an appropriate phrasal verb.

Answer:Rather than addressing the structural defects in the contract directly, the legal team attempted to paper 【over】 the loopholes with vague clauses.

Answer

The correct particle to complete the phrasal verb is 'over'.
The phrasal verb 'paper over' is an established English idiom meaning to repair or cover up a fault or disagreement superficially instead of resolving it fundamentally. In the sentence, using 'over' correctly conveys that the legal team tried to hide the contract's loopholes using vague phrasing.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Analyze the contextual meaning required by the sentence.
The context describes an effort to conceal, disguise, or hastily patch up contractual flaws using superficial means ('vague clauses') rather than fixing the core issues.
The contrast established by 'Rather than addressing... directly' signifies superficial concealment or smoothing over of difficulties.
2
Identify the correct particle that collocates with the verb stem 'paper'.
The idiomatic multi-word verb 'paper over' means to cover up or hide a disagreement, fault, or flaw temporarily to preserve an appearance of stability.
Only the particle 'over' completes the verb stem 'paper' to convey this exact idiomatic sense in standard English.

Key Concept

Phrasal and Prepositional Verbs
Estimated Time:1m 30s
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Topics

Phrasal Verbs and Prepositional Verbs

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