In the following sentence, identify the part that contains an error in grammar or usage, or select No Error if the sentence is correct: The phone that (1) my father bought is different (2) than your (3) / No Error (4).

Introduction / Context:

Error spotting questions help learners sharpen their awareness of common grammatical mistakes in everyday English. In this item, the sentence compares two phones and asks which numbered segment contains an error. The test focuses on correct comparative structure and on the proper use of possessive pronouns. Mastering such details leads to more natural and accurate communication, especially in written examinations and formal contexts.

Given Data / Assumptions:

- The sentence is divided into four parts: The phone that (1) my father bought is different (2) than your (3) / No Error (4).

- We must locate exactly one incorrect part, if any, and choose its number.

- The intended meaning is that the phone bought by my father is not the same as the phone owned by the listener.

- We assume standard modern English usage, where certain prepositions and pronouns collocate naturally with specific structures.

Concept / Approach:

Two main concepts are tested here. First, with the adjective different, the standard and most widely accepted preposition is from, not than, in formal English. Second, when we refer to something belonging to the listener without repeating the noun, we should use the possessive pronoun yours, not your. The word your is a possessive determiner and must be followed by a noun. Since no noun follows your in this sentence, that part is grammatically incomplete and therefore erroneous.

Step-by-Step Solution:

Verification / Alternative check:

To double check, rewrite the whole sentence in a corrected form: The phone that my father bought is different from yours. This version sounds natural and respects both the preposition pattern different from and the use of the independent possessive pronoun yours. If we try to retain than your, we would need to add phone after your to repair the possessive determiner, but even then different than is not preferred in formal exam English.

Why Other Options Are Wrong:

Option 1 is grammatically sound because the phrase The phone that introduces a proper relative clause and does not contain any error. Option 2 joins the clause my father bought with is different and is also correct in terms of tense and agreement. Option 4, No Error, is incorrect because we have clearly identified issues with part 3. Therefore, only part 3 deserves to be marked as erroneous.

Common Pitfalls:

Learners sometimes accept different than due to exposure in informal speech, even though exams generally prefer different from. Another common mistake is confusion between your and yours. Your must always modify a noun, while yours stands alone. When revising such questions, it helps to replace each possessive form mentally and check whether a noun is present or absent, and to recall typical collocations like fond of, good at, and different from.

Final Answer:

The error lies in part 3, which should be rewritten as from yours instead of than your.