The woman said the maid should … all the plates before going to bed.

Analyze the question The sentence asks which phrasal verb fits the context of dishes (plates) being cleaned after a meal, before bedtime.

Explain the concept Phrasal verbs change meaning depending on the particle that follows the verb:

• wash up (British English): to clean the dishes, plates, cutlery, and cooking utensils after a meal. It is the standard phrase for this household chore.
• wash out: to remove a substance from something by washing, or to rinse the inside of a container (e.g., "wash out the stain"). It can also mean an event is cancelled by rain.
• wash off: to remove dirt or a substance from a surface (e.g., "wash off the mud").
• wash away: to carry something off by the force of water (e.g., "the flood washed away the bridge").

Show the solution

1. The context is a maid, plates, and the end of the day. This describes the routine chore of cleaning dishes after a meal.
2. "Wash up" is the idiomatic phrasal verb for exactly this task.
3. "Wash out" suggests rinsing the inside of something or removing a stain, not cleaning dishes in general.
4. "Wash off" focuses on removing dirt from a surface and would need an object like "the dirt."
5. "Wash away" would mean the plates are swept off by water, which makes no sense here.

The sentence reads correctly as: The woman said the maid should wash up all the plates before going to bed.

Answer: B. wash up

Tip: Remember "wash up" = dishes. If you see plates, cups, pots, or the kitchen after a meal, think "wash up." Also, "wash off" = remove dirt from a surface, and "wash away" = carried off by water, like floods.