How do breach of contract and breach of warranty differ?

• A. Breach of contract involves tort damages; breach of warranty does not.
• B. Breach of contract requires intent; breach of warranty does not.
• C. Breach of contract is failure to perform contractual duties; breach of warranty is failure to meet an implied or express promise about quality or nature of goods.
• D. Breach of contract is about goods; breach of warranty is about services.

Answer: (C)

The main idea is that these two types of breach arise from different promises. A breach of contract happens when someone fails to perform the duties they agreed to under the contract—the actual obligation to complete or refrain from a specified performance. A breach of warranty, by contrast, concerns promises about the goods themselves—their quality, condition, or nature—whether those promises were stated (express warranties) or implied by law (implied warranties).

So, the best answer says: breach of contract is a failure to perform contractual duties; breach of warranty is a failure to meet an implied or express promise about the quality or nature of goods. For example, not finishing work per a service contract is a breach of contract. If you’re sold a car that’s advertised as reliable but it has defects, that’s a breach of warranty. It's possible for a single transaction to involve both: nonperformance of contract duties and problems with the goods’ quality.

The other statements don’t capture the distinction. Damages may arise in both contract and warranty cases, and breach of contract does not require intent. Also, warranties typically concern goods, though service contexts can involve related warranty concepts. The core distinction remains where the promise comes from: the contract terms versus the goods’ promised quality or nature.