The correct answer is option 1: 3.

In methanol (CH3OH), the carbon atom (C) forms four covalent bonds. It shares one bond with each of the three hydrogen atoms (H) and one bond with the oxygen atom (O). The oxygen atom forms one covalent bond with the carbon atom and also has two lone pairs of electrons. The total number of covalent bonds in methanol is therefore three.

Option 2: 4 is incorrect because although there are four bonds in total, only three of them are covalent. The fourth bond is a coordinate covalent bond, where the oxygen atom donates a pair of electrons to the carbon atom.

Option 3: 5 is incorrect because there are only four covalent bonds in methanol.

Option 4: 6 is incorrect because there are only three covalent bonds in methanol.