Select the most appropriate option that can substitute the highlighted segment In the given sentence.
My friend is owing an expensive cell phone.

Correct option is B

The correct substitution of the highlighted words is (b) owns an expensive cell phone.
The sentence "My friend is owing an expensive cell phone" uses "is owing," which is grammatically incorrect in this context.
The verb "owe" generally indicates a debt or obligation, which isn't the intended meaning here.
The correct expression should be "owns," which is used to denote possession in the present tense.
Grammatical rule used: In English, the simple present tense is used to describe habitual actions, general truths, and states of being, including possession. The verb "owns" here indicates a state of possession, and unlike "owe," it does not require the auxiliary "is" to form the present continuous tense since it is not an action in progress but a state.
Example:
Incorrect: He is owning a car.
Correct: He owns a car.