Proverbs / Fixed Expressions – Choose the option that BEST conveys the meaning of the proverb. Sentence: You cannot have your cake and eat it too.

Introduction / Context:
This proverb warns about mutually exclusive benefits. If you “have” (keep) your cake, you cannot also “eat” (consume) it; once eaten, it is gone. In decisions, resources, and trade-offs, it means you cannot enjoy two incompatible advantages at the same time. Examinations often test recognition of this trade-off principle in everyday language.

Given Data / Assumptions:

• The form is negative: “You cannot …”
• Two states are mutually exclusive: possessing and consuming.
• We must choose the option that states the core principle succinctly.

Concept / Approach:
The essence is “no free double-benefit” when benefits conflict. The clearest paraphrase is “have it both ways,” framed here to indicate you cannot. Among options, only one directly captures the impossibility of enjoying contradictory outcomes simultaneously.

Step-by-Step Solution:
Interpret metaphor: possession vs consumption are incompatible.Identify the abstract rule: cannot enjoy mutually exclusive advantages.Select the option that encodes this rule.Confirm fit with the proverb’s logic in decision-making scenarios.

Verification / Alternative check:
Paraphrase: “You can’t have it both ways.” This is a widely used direct statement of the proverb’s meaning in modern English.

Why Other Options Are Wrong:

• Enjoy forever: permanence is not the issue.
• Run away from responsibility: unrelated moral dimension.
• Absolve yourself of guilt: different ethical topic.

Common Pitfalls:
Reading the surface image literally and missing the general rule about trade-offs; thinking it promises unlimited enjoyment rather than restricting it.

Final Answer:
Have it both ways