Fill in the blank with the correct alternative out of the given options :
The new edition of the book has been a complete sell ________.
Answer & explanation
Correct answer: option 2
The correct answer is Option (2) → out
A phrasal verb is a verb joined with a small word such as up, out or together. The two words together have a new meaning.
A sell-out (from the phrasal verb sell out) is something so popular that every copy or ticket is sold. "The new edition of the book has been a complete sell-out" means all the copies have been sold.
Complete sentence: The new edition of the book has been a complete sell-out.
Example: The concert was a sell-out. Not a single seat was empty.
Why the Other Options are Incorrect?
Option 1: about — Incorrect. "Sell about" is not a phrasal verb in English, so "a complete sell about" has no meaning.
Option 3: in — Incorrect. "Sell in" does not mean selling every copy. "A complete sell in" is not used in English.
Option 4: off — Incorrect. To sell off is to sell goods cheaply to get rid of them, the opposite of a book in great demand.
Example: The shop is selling off its old stock at half price.