48. In the phrase 'You can't tell a book by its cover,' what does the pronoun 'its' refer to?
Answer: C
The pronoun 'its' refers to 'its cover.'
In the phrase 'You can't tell a book by its cover,' the pronoun 'its' specifically refers to 'the cover' of the book mentioned earlier in the phrase.
A) A book
This option is incorrect because while 'a book' is the subject of the phrase, the pronoun 'its' does not refer to 'a book' but rather to the cover of the book, which is implied in the context.
B) An old
This option is incorrect as 'an old' does not appear in the phrase at all and does not relate to the pronoun 'its.' The phrase discusses the relationship between a book and its cover, making this option irrelevant.
C) Its cover
This is the correct answer because the pronoun 'its' directly refers to 'the cover' of the book. The phrase is emphasizing that one cannot judge the content of a book solely based on its exterior.
D) Can't
This option is incorrect because 'can't' is a contraction of 'cannot' and serves as the verb in the phrase. It does not provide a noun for which 'its' could logically stand.
Conclusion
In summary, the pronoun 'its' clearly refers to 'its cover,' which emphasizes the core message of the phrase about not judging something based solely on its appearance. Options A, B, and D do not accurately represent the referent of 'its,' while Option C correctly identifies the relationship between the book and its cover.