Do not ____ what you can do today.

Question:Do not ____ what you can do today.

The correct answer is: put off.

Explanation:

The phrase "Do not put off what you can do today" is a common English proverb that advises against procrastination. To 'put off' means to delay or postpone an action to a later time. This phrase is suggesting that one should complete tasks promptly rather than deferring them to the future.

Reasoning for Each Choice:

put to:

While 'put to' can be a valid combination of words in English, it does not fit the context of this specific phrase. 'Put to' is often used in sentences like "He was put to the test," meaning to assign or apply something to someone or something. It does not appropriately complete the phrase about procrastination.

put up:

'Put up' generally means to erect or raise something, like putting up a tent, or it can mean accommodating someone, like putting up a guest for the night. It does not make sense in the context of not delaying today's tasks.

put off:

'Put off' means to delay or postpone action. This choice perfectly fits the meaning of the proverb, hence it is the correct answer.

put on:

'Put on' typically means to dress in clothes or to present or perform an act, such as putting on a show. This is unrelated to the concept of delaying tasks.

Conclusion:

The expression "Do not put off what you can do today" effectively conveys the importance of taking immediate action rather than procrastinating. Given the definitions and usual contexts of the choices, 'put off' is the only option that logically completes the sentence in a meaningful way.

Additional References:

For further reading on common English proverbs and idiomatic expressions, you can refer to resources like:

• Merriam-Webster Dictionary

• Oxford Learner's Dictionaries

• Wikipedia: Prover