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Difficulty: MediumPhrasal Verbs and Prepositional Verbs

During the Senate committee hearing on infrastructure development, the minister attempted to ________ the obvious structural defects in the project proposal rather than address the panel's specific concerns. Which of the following phrasal verbs best completes the sentence?

  1. gloss overAnswer
  2. B
    gloss upon
  3. C
    smooth away
  4. D
    polish up

Answer

'gloss over' is the correct phrasal verb to complete the sentence.
The phrasal verb 'gloss over' correctly conveys the intention to minimize, ignore, or cover up serious faults or defects to avoid difficult discussion.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Analyze the context of the sentence
The minister is trying to minimize or treat the structural defects as unimportant rather than facing direct questions.
Understanding the context determines the required idiomatic meaning of the phrasal verb.
2
Evaluate the phrasal verb options for contextual fit and correct particle usage
The phrasal verb 'gloss over' means to deliberately treat a serious fault or defect as minor or inconsequential.
Standard British English requires the particle 'over' with the verb 'gloss' to express this specific meaning.

Key Concept

Meaning and prepositional particle selection for phrasal verbs
Estimated Time:1m 0s
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Topics

Phrasal Verbs and Prepositional Verbs

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