Choose the sentence in which the Phrasal Verb use of "Polish off' has been used correctly.
Answer & explanation
Correct answer: option 2
The correct answer is Option (2) → My brother polished off all the cake that was in the box.
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.
To polish off is to eat or finish something quickly and completely, usually food or a piece of work. The brother ate all the cake in the box, so the phrasal verb is used in its proper sense.
Example: The hungry boys polished off a whole plate of samosas.
Why the Other Options are Incorrect?
Option 1: The servant polished off the shoes of all inmates. — Incorrect. Shoes are polished (made to shine). "Polish off" would mean he finished or consumed them, which makes no sense.
Corrected: The servant polished the shoes of all inmates.
Example: He polished his shoes before the interview.
Option 3: The Speaker polished off his speech beautifully. — Incorrect. Making a speech better is polishing it up. "Beautifully" shows improvement, not finishing it off quickly.
Corrected: The Speaker polished up his speech beautifully.
Example: She spent the evening polishing up her speech for the debate.
Option 4: All the students polished off their text books completely. — Incorrect. "Polish off" means to finish something quickly and easily. Students do not finish whole textbooks quickly in one go, and with "completely" the sentence reads as if they polished (shined) the books. It is not a natural use of the phrasal verb, unlike eating up all the cake.