Select the option that can replace the highlighted part of the sentence grammatically and contextually correctly. If no replacement is required, select “No Replacement”.
They were discussing about the new policy in the meeting.

The correct option is "were discussing".

Step-by-step Explanation:

1. Analyze the original sentence: The sentence is "They were discussing about the new policy in the meeting." The highlighted part is "were discussing about".

2. Identify the grammatical error: The verb "discuss" is a transitive verb. A transitive verb directly takes an object without the need for a preposition. Therefore, using the preposition "about" after "discussing" is redundant and grammatically incorrect. We "discuss something", we do not "discuss about something".

3. Evaluate the options:
- "published on": This changes the entire meaning of the sentence and does not fit grammatically in this context ("They were published on the new policy...").
- "were knowing about": "Know" is a stative verb and is typically not used in the continuous/progressive form ("were knowing") in this context.
- "were discussing": This removes the redundant preposition "about", making the sentence grammatically correct: "They were discussing the new policy in the meeting."
- "made discussion about": While grammatically possible, it is wordy and unnatural compared to the active verb form. The correct idiom is usually "had a discussion about".
- "No replacement": Incorrect because the original sentence contains a grammatical error.

4. Conclusion: Replacing "were discussing about" with "were discussing" resolves the grammatical error by removing the unnecessary preposition.