Don't judge a book by its cover means that you should not judge someone or something by appearance alone, because first impressions can be wrong. People say it about people, places and things that turned out better than they looked. The saying fits conversation and IELTS Speaking; in an essay, first impressions can be misleading sounds more neutral.
When would you say don't judge a book by its cover?
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Don't judge a book by its cover.; you can't judge a book by its cover; never judge a book by its cover
- The café looked shabby from the street, but the food was amazing. Don't judge a book by its cover.
- My new manager seemed strict at first, but you can't judge a book by its cover: she's really supportive.
What changed
First versionHe looks a bit scary, but don't judge a book by the cover: he's very kind.
RevisionHe looks a bit scary, but don't judge a book by its cover: he's very kind.
People often remember the saying roughly and use the instead of its. But the form is fixed: a book by its cover, that is, by the book's own cover. Only the was changed to its.
The saying has two forms: the advice Don't judge a book by its cover and the conclusion You can't judge a book by its cover. The conclusion works well after a story that surprised you: I expected the town to be boring, but you can't judge a book by its cover. You can also build judge a book by its cover into your own sentence: I try not to judge a book by its cover.
Your turn
The old van looked ready for the scrapyard, but it took us across Europe without a single breakdown: you can't ___.
Show the answer
judge a book by its cover — The van looked like a wreck but crossed Europe without breaking down. Its appearance was misleading, so the answer is judge a book by its cover. You can't have your cake and eat it is said when you cannot have two things that rule each other out, and nobody is making a choice here.
Think of a person or place you didn't like at first but that later surprised you in a good way. Write what your first impression was and what it was really like, and finish with the saying.
My first flat in London looked tiny and dark in the photos, but it was actually cosy and quiet. You can't judge a book by its cover.
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