In the following sentence, identify the part that contains an error, or select 'No error': "He was going to / like the clothes she / bought for the trip."

Introduction / Context:
This question belongs to the common competitive exam type called error spotting. You are given a sentence divided into numbered parts. Your task is to identify which specific part contains a grammatical or usage error, or decide that there is no error at all. The sentence here describes someone's expectation that another person will like the clothes bought for a trip.

Given Data / Assumptions:

- Part 1: He was going to - Part 2: like the clothes she - Part 3: bought for the trip. - Part 4: No error (to be chosen only if Parts 1, 2, and 3 are fully correct). - The intended meaning is that he would probably like the clothes that she purchased for the trip.

Concept / Approach:
To solve error spotting questions, it is important to check tense consistency, preposition use, and natural collocations. The phrase bought for the trip is the standard way to express that clothes were purchased with the purpose of using them on the trip. A phrase like bought of the trip is incorrect in this context, because the preposition of does not show purpose or intended use. Therefore, we must focus on the preposition in Part 3.

Step-by-Step Solution:
Step 1: Read the whole sentence smoothly: He was going to like the clothes she bought for the trip. Step 2: Check Part 1. The structure was going to like is acceptable and indicates a future in the past, so there is no error in Part 1. Step 3: Check Part 2. The phrase like the clothes she is the beginning of a clause and is grammatically fine when followed by bought for the trip. Step 4: Look carefully at Part 3. The correct collocation is bought for the trip, not bought of the trip. Using of would be wrong. Step 5: Recognise that the only incorrect element in the original version is the preposition of in Part 3. Step 6: Conclude that Part 3 is where the error lies, so option 3 is the correct answer.

Verification / Alternative check:
Replace of with for and read the corrected sentence again: He was going to like the clothes she bought for the trip. This revised version sounds natural and follows standard English usage. No other part requires any change. This confirms that the problem was limited to the preposition in Part 3 and that Parts 1 and 2 are grammatically sound.

Why Other Options Are Wrong:
Part 1 correctly uses the pattern was going to plus base verb to show expectation in the past. Part 2 simply continues the object of like and does not contain any tense or agreement error. Part 4, No error, cannot be chosen because we have clearly identified a preposition error. Therefore, options 1, 2, and 4 are all incorrect choices.

Common Pitfalls:
Many learners read quickly and fail to notice small preposition errors. They may incorrectly assume that because the overall meaning is clear, there is no grammatical problem. In error spotting tasks, however, exam setters often hide the mistake in a tiny word like of, to, for, or on. Training yourself to pay close attention to such small but important words will improve your accuracy significantly.

Final Answer:
3 is the correct choice, because the preposition in Part 3 should be for, not of.