The following sentence contains a blank for a particle that completes a phrasal verb. When I visited him last evening, we talked the matter ________. Choose the option that forms the most natural and meaningful expression in English.

Introduction / Context:
This question examines your understanding of phrasal verbs connected with discussion and problem solving. In English, when people discuss an issue carefully in order to understand it or decide what to do, they often use the phrasal verb talk something over. The sentence describes a visit during which the speaker and another person discussed a matter. You are asked to choose the correct particle to complete the phrasal verb talk over.

Given Data / Assumptions:

• The speaker visited someone last evening.
• During the visit, they discussed a specific matter.
• The verb talk is already present, and a suitable particle must complete the expression.
• The options are through, away, off, and over.

Concept / Approach:
Phrasal verbs with talk change meaning depending on the particle. Talk over means discuss a problem or plan thoroughly, often before taking a decision. Talk through can mean explain something step by step, but talk the matter through is less common in exam contexts and changes the nuance slightly. Talk away means keep talking continuously, often without much purpose. Talk off is not a standard collocation with matter in this sense. Therefore, we must select the phrasal verb that best matches the idea of discussing an issue during a visit.

Step-by-Step Solution:
Step 1: Read the core of the sentence: we talked the matter ________ and identify that it refers to discussing something. Step 2: Recall that talk something over is a common phrase meaning to discuss something carefully and fully, often before making a decision. Step 3: Substitute over into the sentence and check the sound: we talked the matter over is a natural and widely used phrase. Step 4: Test through: we talked the matter through is understandable but less standard in many exam patterns, and the more typical expression in such questions is talked the matter over. Step 5: Test away and off and notice that we talked the matter away and we talked the matter off do not make idiomatic sense. Step 6: Decide that over is the best choice because it forms the standard phrasal verb talk over.

Verification / Alternative check:
One way to verify is to think of similar example sentences from textbooks or conversations. For instance, Let us talk the plan over before we start or They talked the problem over for hours. These standard uses confirm that over is the correct particle. Reference materials for English exams also regularly include talk over as the correct phrasal verb for discussing matters in detail.

Why Other Options Are Wrong:
Through can fit in some contexts, but the more typical exam answer with matter is talk over, so through is considered less appropriate here. Away means continuously or without stopping, as in talk away happily, which does not match discussing a specific matter. Off does not form a common phrasal verb with talk and matter in this sense, so talk the matter off sounds incorrect and unnatural.

Common Pitfalls:
A common error is to assume that any particle can be used if the general idea seems close. Another mistake is to rely on literal meanings and ignore idiomatic patterns. Learners improve accuracy with phrasal verbs by studying them as fixed combinations and noting which objects they usually take, such as talk something over, think something over, and mull something over.

Final Answer:
The correct particle to complete the phrasal verb is over, giving talked the matter over.