In the following sentence, a part is underlined and numbered. Identify the part of the sentence that contains an error and select the correct option. If the sentence is free from error, select 'No error'. A very first time I used the internet I was very intimidated, (1) / and thought that anyone who could use (2) / such an elaborate thing must be a genius. (3) / No error. (4)

Introduction / Context:
This item is another example of an error spotting question in English grammar. The sentence talks about the speaker's first experience of using the internet and tests the correct use of articles in a common phrase. Knowing standard expressions such as "the first time" is essential for scoring well in competitive exams that assess practical command of English.

Given Data / Assumptions:

• The sentence is divided into four parts with the following first segment: "A very first time I used the internet I was very intimidated,".
• In standard English, certain fixed phrases use a specific article.
• The rest of the sentence, "and thought that anyone who could use such an elaborate thing must be a genius", is grammatically sound.
• The test expects formal, idiomatic English.

Concept / Approach:
The concept tested here is the correct use of the definite article "the" in the phrase "the first time". When we refer to the initial occurrence of an event, English uses the definite article because that time is unique and specific. The phrase "a very first time" is not idiomatic and sounds incorrect. The approach is to check whether any part of the sentence violates standard patterns that learners should know, including article use, subject verb agreement, or clause structure.

Step-by-Step Solution:
Step 1: Read the sentence aloud: "A very first time I used the internet I was very intimidated, and thought that anyone who could use such an elaborate thing must be a genius." Step 2: Focus on part (1): "A very first time I used the internet I was very intimidated,". Step 3: Recall the common expression: "The first time I used the internet, I was very intimidated." Step 4: Notice that native and formal usage takes "the" with "first time" because it refers to one specific occasion, not any general time. Step 5: Therefore, "A very first time" is wrong and should be replaced by "The very first time". Step 6: Check parts (2) and (3). "Thought that anyone who could use such an elaborate thing must be a genius" is correctly structured and uses proper tense and word order. Step 7: Since the only clear error is in segment (1), the correct answer is option 1.

Verification / Alternative check:
An easy verification strategy is to write both versions and compare: "A very first time I used the internet" versus "The very first time I used the internet". The second version is the one commonly heard in speech, in books, and in examination material. Additionally, English grammar requires the definite article "the" when we talk about a unique event in a sequence, such as the first time, the second time, or the last time. This rule confirms that the article in the original sentence is wrong.

Why Other Options Are Wrong:
Option 2: "and thought that anyone who could use" has correct clause structure and verb usage. There is no grammatical error here. Option 3: "such an elaborate thing must be a genius" is a natural way to complete the thought and does not break any grammatical rule in this context. Option 4: "No error" cannot be correct because we have identified a definite article mistake in part (1).

Common Pitfalls:
Students often overlook article errors because they are very small words and the brain tends to skip over them when reading quickly. Some learners may also feel that "a very first time" sounds acceptable because they know the independent phrase "for the first time" and confuse the structures. Others may spend time searching for tense or subject verb mistakes and miss the more subtle but important article usage issue. To avoid these problems, learners should pay special attention to fixed expressions like "the first time", "the only one", and "the last time", where the definite article is almost always required.

Final Answer:
The error is in part 1, because the correct phrase is "The very first time I used the internet" and not "A very first time I used the internet".