In the following question, a part of the sentence is highlighted in bold. Choose the correct alternative that can replace the highlighted part to make the sentence grammatically correct without changing its meaning.

Our bank manager was assisting my partner to pay up a huge sum from loans we accumulated during the pandemic.

The correct option is to pay off a huge sum of.

Step-by-step Explanation:

Let's analyze the highlighted part of the sentence: to pay up a huge sum from.

1. Phrasal Verb Usage:
The contextual meaning of the sentence refers to settling or fully clearing a debt or loan. The appropriate phrasal verb for fully settling a debt is "pay off", not "pay up". "Pay off" means to discharge or settle a financial debt completely.

2. Preposition Usage:
When referring to an amount or quantity belonging to a whole category (in this case, loans), the correct preposition to follow "sum" is "of". Thus, the phrase should be "a huge sum of loans" rather than "from loans".

Combining these corrections, the highlighted phrase to pay up a huge sum from must be replaced with to pay off a huge sum of to make the sentence grammatically correct and convey the precise meaning.

Corrected Sentence:
"Our bank manager was assisting my partner to pay off a huge sum of loans we accumulated during the pandemic."