Grammar fix
paper over
conceal problems (figurative)
to hide or cover up problems or disagreements, especially by making them seem less serious than they really are, rather than actually solving them
phrasal verbC1occasional
Hear it in context
Notice where the phrase sounds natural.
- The company tried to paper over the financial problems, but the truth eventually came out.relationships
- In my opinion, introducing new policies without addressing the root causes simply papers over the issues rather than creating lasting change.IELTS speaking
Fix the pattern
Pattern: paper over something
WrongThey papered the problem.
RightThey papered over the problem.
It needs 'over' — 'paper over' the cracks/differences.
Patternpaper over something
Use it right
Choose the version that sounds natural in speech.
The idiom 'paper over (the cracks)' is vivid; the literal paraphrase is flat.
Build natural chunks
Words that usually travel with it.
paper over the crackspaper over the crackspaper overdifferencesthe divisions
Don't confuse it
Unlike the literal sense of covering something with paper, this figurative sense means to hide or gloss over issues without addressing the real cause.