AN ERROR ANALYSIS ON STUDENTS’ DESCRIPTIVE
WRITING
(A Case Study on Student of Harapan Jaya Senior High School at Cipondoh, Tangerang )
AHMAD BUSTOMI NIM. 103026027612
ENGLISH LETTERS DEPARTMENT ADAB AND HUMANITIES FACULTY
STATE ISLAMIC UNIVERSITY SYARIF HIDAYATULLAH
AN ERROR ANALYSIS ON STUDENTS’ DESCRIPTIVE
WRITING
(A Case Study on Student of Harapan Jaya Senior High School at Cipondoh, Tangerang )
A Thesis
Submitted to Adab and Humanities Faculty in Partial
Accomplishment of the Requirements for the Degree of Strata 1 (S1)
AHMAD BUSTOMI NIM. 103026027612
ENGLISH LETTERS DEPARTMENT ADAB AND HUMANITIES FACULTY
STATE ISLAMIC UNIVERSITY SYARIF HIDAYATULLAH
L
LEEGGAALLIIZZAATTIIOONN
A thesis entitled An Error Analysis on Students’ Descriptive Writing (A Case Study on Students of Harapan Jaya Senior High School at Cipondoh, Tangerang), has been defended before the Adab and Humanities Faculty’s Examination Committee on, May 27, 2009. The thesis has already been accepted as a partial fulfillment of the requirement for the Strata 1 (S 1) Degree in English Letters Department.
The Board of Examiners
Chair Person, Secretary,
Dr. H. Muhammad Farkhan, M.Pd Drs. Asep Saefudin M.Pd NIP.150 299 480 NIP.150 261 902
Members
Examiner I Examiner II
D
DEECCLLAARRAATTIIOONN
I hereby declare this submission is my own work and to the best of my knowledge and belief. It contains no material previously published or written by another neither persons nor material, which to a substantial extent has been accepted for the award of any degree or diploma of other universities or institute of higher learning, except where due acknowledgment has been made in the text.
Jakarta, March 2009
ABSTRACT
Ahmad Bustomi, An Error Analysis on Students’ Descriptive Writing (A Case Study on Students of Harapan Jaya Senior High School at Cipondoh, Tangerang). A Thesis: English Letters Department, Adab and Humanities Faculty, State Islamic University Syarif Hidayatullah, 2009
The main objective of this research is to know the common errors that the students of Harapan Jaya Senior High School at Cipondoh, Tangerang do in writing English. Theoretically, this research intends to identify, to define, to classify, and then finally to explain the cause of errors.
The writer uses quantitative method in this research where he analyze the students’ writing to know the type of errors the students do most in their writing grammatically to know the causes of errors. After that, the writer describes the number of errors that the students made. The writer describes the errors in each sentence and gives an analysis. For this research, the writer analyses each students’ writing, and find out, and classifies the error he or she made, and lists them in form of tables. Then, from those errors the writer concludes what causes of those errors are.
A
ACCKKNNOOWWLLEEDDGGEEMMEENNTT
In the name of Allah. The most beneficent and the most merciful.
All praise is to Allah – the Lord of the Universe, the Cherisher and Sustainer of the Universe who has bestowed upon the writer completing this paper. Peace and salutation be upon our beloved prophet, Muhammad SAW, who saved the believer from destruction into safety and has guided them into the right way of Islam.
In this great opportunity, the writer would like to convey his heartfelt thanks to these amazing people, especially to Drs. Zainal Arifin Toy, M. Sc, the writer’s advisor for his time, guidance and encouragement in correcting and helping him finishing this paper.
His beloved parents for their prayers, trust, affection, and support to the writer. They have been struggling and very patient to assist his education morally and materially until finishing this paper with their ways, he conveys his truly grateful to have them.
Dr. H. Abdul Chair, M.A., the Dean of the Adab and Humanities Faculty. Dr. H. Muhammad Farkhan, M.Pd., the Head of English Letters Department, and Drs. Asep Saefuddin, M.Pd., the Secretary of English Letters Department.
All friends and classmates in English Letters Department especially to Zaenal Abidin, Fariq Maulana, Suhaemi, Erlangga, Ummi Fatimah, Sefta, Indra, Wahyudi, Firman, etc.
All things in this universe that had conspired against his laziness during writing this thesis.
May Allah SWT, the All Hearer and all Knower, always bless and gives you more than you have done to the writer.
Jakarta, May 2009
T
TAABBLLEE OOFF CCOONNTTEENNTTSS
APPROVEMENT ...
...i
LEGALIZATION ...
...ii
DECLARATION ...
...iii
ABSTRACT ...
...iv
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ... ...v TABLE OF CONTENTS ...
...vii
LIST OF TABLES ...
...xii
LIST OF APPENDICES ...
...xii
i
INTRODUCTION ...
...1
A. Background of the Study ... 1
B. Focus of the Study ... 3
C. The Statement of the Problem ... 3
D. Significance of the Research ... 4
E. Research Methodology ... 4
CHAPTER II
THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK ...
...7
A. Error ... ...7
1. The Definition of Errors ... ...7 2. The Causes of Errors ...
a. Mother Tongue Interference ... 9
b. Overgeneralization ... 9
c. Errors Encouraged by Teaching Material and Method ... 10
B. Error Analysis ... ...11
1. The Definition of Errors Analysis ... ...11 2. The Objective of Errors Analysis ...
...12 C. Writing ...
...13 1. The Definition of Writings ...
...13 2. Kinds of Writing ...
...14 a. Free Writing ...
14
3. The Role of Writing in Learning Language ... ...15
a. Narration ... ...17 b. Description ...
...17 c. Exposition ...
...18 d. Argumentation ...
...19 D. The Framework of the Analysis ...
...20 1. Singular and Plural ...
...21 2. Article ...
...22 3. Addition Word ...
...22 4. Word Choice ...
...23 5. Capitalization ...
6. Omission Word ... ...25 7. Spelling ...
...26 8. Punctuation ...
...26 9. Tense ...
...27 10. Word Order ...
...27 11. Word Choice ...
...28
CHAPTER III
RESEARCH FINDINGS ... ...29
A. Data Description ... 29
B. Data Analysis ... 30
1. Error Reconstruction ... ...31
b. Analysis of Student Two ... ...35 c. Analysis of Student Three ...
...39 d. Analysis of Student Four ...
...43 e. Analysis of Student Five ...
...45 f. Analysis of Student Six ...
...50 g. Analysis of Student Seven ...
...54 h. Analysis of Student Eight ...
...57 i. Analysis of Student Nine ...
...60 j. Analysis of Student Ten ...
...63 2. Error Causes ...
...66 a. Mother Tongue Interference ...
b. Overgeneralization ... ...76
CHAPTER IV
CONCLUSION AND SUGGESTION ... ...81
A. Conclusion ... 81
B. Suggestion ... 82
L
LIISSTT OOFF TTAABBLLEESS
Table 1: Homonym Problem ... ...23 Table 2: The recapitulation of students’ errors ...
...29 Table 3: The frequency and the percentage of errors ...
L
LIISSTT OOFF AAPPPPEENNDDIICCEESS
Descriptive Writing of Student One ... 1
Descriptive Writing of Student Two ... 2
Descriptive Writing of Student Three ... 3
Descriptive Writing of Student Four ... 4
Descriptive Writing of Student Five ... 5
Descriptive Writing of Student Six ... 6
Descriptive Writing of Student Seven ... 7
Descriptive Writing of Student Eight ... 8
Descriptive Writing of Student Nine ... 9
Profile of HARAPAN JAYA Senior High School ... 11
A. The English Curriculum ... 11
B. The English Teaching Process... 12
C. Students’ English Achievement and its Application ... 12
D. The English Textbooks Used in the School ... 12
E. Students’ English Achievement and its Application ... 12
CHAPTER I
INTRODUCTION
A. Background of the Study
English has a very important role. Indeed, it said that mastering English is a prime requirement for individual success especially for Indonesian in facing the globalization era. All students in Indonesia have been learning English since they were at fourth grade, and studying English as a curriculum is also an obligatory from the government especially in Educational Ministry.
Learning English as foreign language is not easy and only few succeed in mastering it. According to Mackey, that the learner has had experiences with another language. A person who has been using certain language since early childhood already had experience with his language and when he started to learn a new language, he would face with the problem of different sound, words, and sentences, with different grouping of things, person, and actions, and with different of time, space and manner. These may conflict with the structure of his native language.1
In mastering English, all the languages skill must be applied and integrated in teaching English, especially writing. Ann Brown in his book stated that writing is important in our lives and as a communicative act
1
that transmits in formation and links people together.2 Students are expected to convey their ideas, feeling, and knowledge in written language and they have to apply their other language abilities such as grammar and vocabularies. Nancy mentioned that: “when writing, the students must keep in mind their purpose, and think about the facts they will need to select which are relevant to that purpose, and think about how to organize those facts in a coherent fashion”.3
However, writing is not an easy thing to do even it is the hardest language skill to master. Wendy A. Scott and Lisbeth H. Ytreberg say that writing is not always easy. Although the writing and the oral skill are combined in the classroom and the one clearly benefits from the other, writing has certain characteristics which seem to make it difficult for the students to get the grips with, especially for young students. Writing is considered the hardest skill to master. Many students think that writing is difficult and weak in expressing their ideas written. The reason probably because writing requires good mastery of grammatical, punctuation, spelling and many more aspects.4
As because of many aspects that students have to comprehend in learning writing skill, it seems to make only few students can master it. Students often make mistakes and errors when they write because of their
2
Ann Brown, Helping Children to Write, (London: Paul Chapman Publishing Ltd, 1993), p.2
3
Nancy Arapoff, Writing Through Understanding, (New York: Holt Rinchart and Winston, 1970), p. 27
4
lack grammar understanding. For example the correct use of to be or an auxiliary verb in a sentence is a quite difficult point in English. An incorrect using of to be or auxiliary verb will make a serious matter for students writing, because those incorrect using will make the sentence can not be understood. For example: Are Paul and Siska students? It is the wrong. Because, the use of the auxiliary verb is for Paul and Siska is incorrect. The correct one is: Are Paul and Siska students?
From the reason above, the writer is motivated to know about the students’ writing in Senior High School of Harapan Jaya Cipondoh Tangerang. It is to know about the students’ mastery of English and find the kind of errors that the students do.
B. Focus of the Study
In this research, the writer will limit the discussion only on analysis of descriptive writing of second grade students of SMA Harapan Jaya Cipondoh Tangerang.
C. The Statement of Problem
D. Significance of the Study
This research is qualitative descriptive analytic study of the type of error that the students do when they write and the result will be analyzed and used as an input for the teacher to identify which part of the language are found difficult in the classroom.
E. Research Methodology
1. The Objective of Research
The objective of this research is to know the common errors that the students of SMA Harapan Jaya Cipondoh Tangerang do in writing English. Theoretically, this research intends to identify, to define, to classify, and then finally to explain the cause of errors. 2. The Method of the Research
In this research, the writer uses the qualitative method where he analyze the students’ writing to know the type of errors the students do most in their writing grammatically to know the causes of errors. After that, the writer describes the number of errors that the students made. The writer will describe the errors in each sentence and give an analysis.
3. The Technique of Data Analysis
form of tables. Then, from those errors the writer concludes what causes of those errors are.
4. The Instrument of Research
The writer uses a test as the instrument for collecting the data. For the test, the writer asked the students to make a composition in English entitled “My lovely house”.
5. The Unit of Analysis
The unit of analysis of this research is the composition made by the students of Harapan Jaya Senior High School, located at Cipondoh Tangerang. The writer collects all second grades of students’ compositions and chooses randomly to analyze.
6. The Place and Time of Research
CHAPTER II
THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK
A. Error
1. The Definition of Errors
Based on Oxford learner’s pocket dictionary, error is a mistake. However, experts distinguish between error and mistake. Errors are caused by lack of knowledge about the target language or an incorrect hypothesis about it. Errors are noticeable and can not be self corrected. According to Els, “errors are the deviations from the second language norm produced by second language learners”.5 The errors are deviation from adult grammar of a native speaker, and reflected the competence of learner. Errors reveal the portion of the learner’s competence in the target language.6 There is also more understanding of Errors that is defined in the Merriam-Webster’s Collegiate Dictionary which stated that “errors suggest the existence of a standard or guide and straying from the right course through failure to make effective use of this (procedural errors)”.7
5
Theo Van Els, et al, Applied Linguistics and the Learning and Teaching of Foreign Language, (London: Hodder & Stoughton, 1996), p. 48
6
H. Dougles Brown, Principle of Language Learning and Teaching, (New York: Prentice Hall regents, 1987) p. 217
7
Different from errors, the mistakes tend to be caused by temporary lapses of memory, confusion, slips of the tongue and so on.8 A mistake refers to a performance error that is either a random guess or a ‘slip’. And different from the error it self, that error can not be self corrected but mistake seems to be able to be self corrected “it is result of some sort temporary breakdown or imperfection in the process of producing speech. And when attention is called to it, mistake can be self corrected”.9
2. The Causes of Errors
Talking about the causes of errors, Pit Corder asserts that there are three major causes of error, which he labels ‘Transfer Error’, ‘analogical errors’ and teaching induced errors’. Meanwhile Hubburb on A Training Course for TEFL uses different names for the same categories of the causes of errors. Namely ‘mother-tongue interference’, ‘overgeneralization’, and ‘errors encouraged by teaching material and method’.10 And these categories become very important points for the writer to refer as the basic knowledge of his analysis. The following are the brief but concise elaboration of the three categories of causes of errors mentioned previously:
8
Peter Hubbarb et, al, A Training Course for TEFL, (New York: Oxford University Press, 1983), p.134
9
Brown, loc. cit
10
a. Mother-Tongue Interference
Although young children appear to be able to learn a foreign language quite easily and to produce a new sound very effectively, older and learners experience considerable difficulty. These all problem are not out of the interference of the mother-tongue. Like stated by Wilkins on Linguistics in Learning Teaching has made some related observation to this problem. He said that “When learning a foreign language an individual already knows his mother-tongue, and it is this which he attempts to transfer. The transfer may prove to be justified because the structure of the two languages is similar-in that cases get ‘positive-transfer’ or ‘facilitation’-or it may prove unjustified because the structure of the two languages are different-in that case we get ‘negative –transfer’ or ‘interference’.11
From the explanation above, the writer concludes that the errors made Indonesians who learn English as foreign language are normal problems, since they are going to struggle to control their mother-tongue interference.
b. Overgeneralization
Overgeneralization is a process that occurs as the second language learner acts within the target language,
11
generalizing a particular rule or item in the second language-irrespective of native language-beyond legitimate bounds.12 Richard also stated on A Non-Contrastive Approach to Error Analysis and explains that overgeneralization covers instance where the learner creates a deviant structure on the basis of his experiences in the target language.13
From this, the writer has a great consideration that overgeneralization is a natural problem that usually happens in anyone learning foreign language. Because some patterns and structures that may be there in foreign language but there are not in any other languages.
c. Errors encouraged by teaching material or method
The teaching material and method can also contribute to the students’ errors. “Students often make errors because of a misleading explanation from the teacher, faulty presentation of structure or word in a textbook, or even because of pattern that was routinely memorized in a drill but improperly contextualized”.14 Unfortunately, these errors are much more difficult to classify, as pit Corder admits this: “It is, however, now easy to identify such error except in conjunction with a close study of materials and teaching techniques to which the learner has been expected. This is probably why so little is
12
Brown, op. cit. p. 96
13
Available at www.melta.org.my/ET/1996/main4.html, accessed on September 13, 2008
14
known about them”.15 In addition to the teaching materials or method applied as an external aspect of the teachers, their internal aspect or the personal ability and competence are quite influencing or determining.
B. Error Analysis
1. The Definition of Errors Analysis
Making errors is human being and natural. In learning process, errors have been perceived as a device a learner uses in order to learn. Indeed human learning is fundamentally a process that involves the making of mistakes. Mistakes, misjudgment, miscalculation, and erroneous assumption form an important aspect of learning virtually any skill or acquiring information.16 Meanwhile errors analysis based on Merriam-Webster’s Collegiate dictionary is ” the analysis, for practical but also potentially for scientific ends, of errors made by students learning another language”.17 And in another explanation is also stated that errors analysis is “the examination of those errors committed by students in both the spoken and written medium”.18 According to Harimurti Kridalaksana, error analysis is a technique to measure the progress of language learning by marking and classifying the errors committed by someone or group:
15
Hubburb, op. cit. p.140-143
16
Brown., op. cit.,p.216
17
Merriam Webster Dictionary, op. cit. p.117
18
Analisis kesilapan: Tehnik untuk mengukur kemajuan belajar bahasa dengan mencatat dan mengklasifikakan kesalahan-kesalahan yang dibuat oleh seseorang atau kelompok.19
Those three definitions concerning with errors analysis are basically leading to the same or one understanding that is to criticize the errors made by the students learning a foreign language, and this is what the writer is conducting in his research paper.
2. The Objective of Errors Analysis
Errors Analysis is useful in second language learning because this will reveal to teachers, syllabus designers and textbook writers. They could design remedial exercises and focuses more attention on the trouble spots.20 Yet, in this case the writer just would like to add that errors analysis as a tool is also useful for the researcher to find out information needed, since the study of error provides us with a picture of the linguistic development of a learner and may give us indications about the learning process. The writer also approves that errors can help us identify the cognitive strategies that the learner is using to process information through analyzing learner errors.21
19
Harimurti Kridalaksana, Kamus Linguistik, (Jakarta: Gramedia, 1982) p.11
20
Available at www.melta.org.my/ET/1996/main4.html accessed on September 13, 2008
21
C. Writing
1. The Definition of Writing
Writing is a process of discovering and shaving meaning. Experienced writers rarely gather and understand immediately all the information they need. They collect miscellaneous fact and concept, starting writing, and then let the writing lead them to understanding. They know they will be making significant discovers as they writes.22
There are three skills area involve acquiring a writing system. The first skill area involves acquiring a writing system which may be alphabetic (as in European language) or non alphabetic (as in many Asian countries). The second skill area requires selecting the appropriate grammar and vocabularies to form acceptable sentences and then arranging them in paragraph. The third, writing involves thinking about the purpose of the text to be composing and about its possible effect on the intended readerships. One important aspect of this last feature is the choice of suitable style.23
22
Rise B Axerlrod and Charles R Cooper, The St. Marteen’s Guide Writing, (St.Marteen’s Press: New York, 1985), p.4
23
2. Kinds of Writing
a. Free Writing
In free writing, you first think in English and then you write what you think.24 This opinion is almost the same as Dorothy Sedly. She said “Free writing is a technique for finding the ideas in your head that you do not even know are there”.25 It means writing whatever comes to the mind without worrying about whether the ideas are good or the grammar is correct. The technique of free writing is very simple. The students just pick up a pen and start writing, and do not stop writing for ten full minutes. It they do not develop their ideas or get stuck, they just repeat what they have just written.
b. Controlled Writing
Controlled writing is the opposite free writing. Controlled writing is all the writing which a great deal of the content and or form is supplied. In using this kind of writing to teaching writing, the students are focused to get words down on paper and in concentrating on one or two problems at a time; they are thus spared from tackling the full range of complexity that free writing entails. Controlled writing focuses the students’ attention on
24
Lois Robinson, Guided Writing and Free Writing,, (New York: Harper and Row, 1996), p. 22
25
specific features of the written language. It is good method of reinforcing grammar, vocabulary, and syntax in context.26
c. Guided Writing
Guided writing is an extension of controlled writing; it is less controlled than controlled writing. In using kind of writing to teaching writing, the students are given a first sentence, a last sentence, an outline to fill out, a series of questions to respond to, or information to include in their piece of writing. The students should be able to discuss, make notes, share findings, and plan strategies together before they begin to write.27 In guided writing the students will make a serious errors if they follow the instructions, which are given by their teachers as stated by Lois Robinson in his book, ”guided or controlled writing is writing in which one can not make a serious error so long as he follows direction”.28
3. The Role of Writing in Learning Language
Writing makes a special contribution to the way people think. When we write, we compose meaning. We put together facts and ideas and make something new, whether in a letter home, in college essay, or in a report at work. When we write, we create an intricate web of
26
Ann Raimes, Technique in Teaching Writing, (London: Oxford American English, 1983), p. 95
27
Ibid. p.103
28
meaning in which sentences have special relationship to each others.29 Writing is a very valuable part of any language course. But learning to write is not just a natural extension of learning how to speak language. It’s because they learned their first language at home without systematic instruction. Whereas most of the students had to be thought in school how to write that same language.
Besides contributing to the way we think and learn, writing helps us to connect to others, to communicate.30 The people need to communicate with one another in writing form is not the only reason to include writing as a part of any language course. Ann Raimes writes in her book that there are three reasons why writing helps the students learn. First, writing reinforces the grammatical structures, idioms, and vocabulary that the teachers have been teaching. Second, when the students write, they have also a chance to be adventurous with the language to go beyond what they have just learned to say, to take a risk. Third, when they write, they necessarily involved with the new language; the effort to express ideas and the constants use of eyes, hand, and brain is a unique way to reinforce.31 The students discover a real need to find the right word and the right sentence. So there is a close relationship between writing and thinking that makes writing a
29
Axelrod & Cooper, op. cit. p. 2
30
Ibid. p. 3
31
valuable part of any language course.32 There are four roles of writing in learning languages, they are:
a. Narration
Narration is a form of discourse that presents in a related series. It tells of an action or group of action in such a way as to give what is popularly recognized as story. Narration in the true sense is limited to events in time. Narrative in its essential meaning is a sequence of events so arranged as to take the reader from a beginning to an end while giving a lively sense of actuality. Narration therefore exhibits its method in the ordering of the parts of an action. It is directly concerned with the evoking of pictures it puts its picture in a framework of time. From the psychological point of views, narration is probably the most elementary of the forms of discourse, in as much as almost everyone is born with the same ability to tell a story. 33
b. Description
Description’s primary use is to make the reader see the thing, or to perceive the special quality of them. It makes the reader see in the sense of visualizing. It focuses upon the appearance of an object and exposition upon the nature of it. In description, the reader sees vividly and concretely; perceives the object with a kind
32
Ibid. p. 4
33
of fullness. Description leaves the reader with the image of the object.
Because it connection with image of the object, much descriptive writing is classified as creative. Description sometimes is written to be presented alone; but very often they are also combined with other forms of discourse and are contributing parts of larger whole.34
c. Exposition
Exposition is the form of writing that explains a subject. Its purpose is to make the reader understand. It is practiced whenever it is necessary to tell what a thing is, how it functions, how its parts are related to each others, and how it is related to each others. It has little purpose beyond clarifying such matters, because exposition is used to transmit knowledge by explanation, this is perhaps the most widely used of all, the form of discourse.35
Maxine Hair Stone writes about the criteria of good expository writing that are common to pinpoint the features that most readers want to find, they are:
First, the writing is significant. It should tell them something they want to know. It is significant if the reader enjoys it, learns something from it and fulfills some need by reading it.
34
Weaver, Richard M, op. cit. p. 27
35
Second, the writing is clear. The reader does not need to reread it several times to know what it means.
Third, the writing is unified and well organized. The reader does not want the author leads them off in several directions so that they get on sense of undersigning plan.
Forth, the writing is economical. The author can convey the message of the writing in compact paragraph and not in long – winded and wasting time paragraph which tells something out of context.
Fifth, the writing is adequately developed. The author can support key points and can answer the question they have raised and by explaining and developing the assertion they made.
Sixth, the writing is grammatically acceptable.36 d. Argumentation
Argumentation is distinguished from the three forms above in that its function is to prove. The roof that an argumentation offered has two differences that the other three forms above have. First, its method of proof have been reduced to a science, known as logic, whereby one can say with some exactness whether a given statement has been established or made good by the evidence offered in support of it. The methods of argumentation are body of scientifically analyzed process, which must be followed strictly to
36
yield a correct result. Second, argumentation is frequently concerned with matter of policy. Matters of policy are distinguished from matters of fact in that they deal with what ought to be rather that what is true of a situation by the standard of fact.37
D. The Framework of the Analysis
By doing this kind of research, the writer aims to know what type of errors the students do most and what the causes of the errors are. For that, the writer is taking second grade students of SMA Harapan Jaya Cipondoh Tangerang.
The writer gives writing test to the students. After writing is corrected and errors are analyzed, the writer uses descriptive analytic method to analyze. The writer uses the procedure for error analysis by Corder as being quoted by Rod Ellis as follow :
1. A corpus of the language is selected 2. The errors in the corpus are identified 3. The errors are classified
4. The errors are explained 5. The errors are evaluated.38
In learning writing skill of a foreign language is undeniable that sometimes the students have many burdens and problems related to the difference structure, language system, and the order of the sentence
37
Richard M Weaver, op. cit .p.28
38
between foreign language and their mother-tongue. Especially Indonesian students who learn writing in English, they get many problems in composing English because many differences in structure in both English and Indonesian. Although so many problems that make the students do errors in writing but the writer only takes the common errors in grammar such as singular plural, word form, word choice, verb tense, add a word, omit a word, word order, spelling, punctuation, article and meaning not clear.
1. Singular and Plural
Talking about singular and plural that means one and more than one. Both English and Indonesian have it. However, the way they use them is not the same. Usually English add s/es in the last of the word to show a plural or some word involve into irregular plural like knife – knives, child - children. Meanwhile Indonesian has different pattern to show plural such as by repeating the same word or by adding the word ‘para’.
Example :
E : All the students bring those boxes. I : Para pelajar membawa kotak-kotak itu.
2. Article
The occurrence of the article varies depending upon the type of noun. The definite and indefinite article is customary to recognize a zero article.39 The two article are the and a. Each of articles undergoes a change before a word beginning a vowel-the changes in pronunciation, a changes in both pronunciation and spelling.40 Indonesian does not know the article. And the students think that they do not need to use article in writing an English composition. Eg. “I have big house’ it should be “I have a big house”.
3. Addition Word
Sometimes the students miss several words when they are writing a composition. That is why the writer should add some words to make the students’ composition complete when he is analyzing each students’ writing. For example, “Anton very happy” it should be “Anton is very happy”. It is caused by their lack of grammar knowledge. This error can be seen as a form of simplification. The simplification is sometimes called “redundancy reduction” because it eliminates many items, which are redundant to conveying the intended message. Redundancy reduction makes
39
Hubburb, op. cit. p.134
40
production easier but makes comprehension difficult or even impossible.
4. Word choice
Sometimes the students misuse the words to make their composition understandable. Because, sometimes two words have same meaning but have different usage in the sentence. For instance, pale and pail look same spelling but they are different. Pale is an adjective and pail is a noun, they are used in different way. It is known as homonym, as stated by Katherine Ploeger in her book told that homonyms are words that sound the same or almost same but have different meaning. Some are possessives, others contractions, others something else.41 To make it clear the problems words that sound the same or almost the same but have the different meaning see the table below.
Table 1: Homonym Problem Accept (to agree) Except (not Allow)
Allowed (accepted ) Aloud (loudly)
Here (At this Location) Sight (The Ability to see) Site (location) Knew (Had Knowledge) New (never seen before)
Know (to have knowledge) No (negative)
Quiet (not noisy) Quite (very much) Quit (stop)
Whether (if) Weather (clouds,
sunshine)
41
Some students made mistakes in choosing the words to use because they are lack of knowledge of grammar and they also generalize the meaning of the words. For example, the using of where instead of when in the sentence “where we were members of the organization”, it should be “when we were members of the organization”. They over generalized the meaning of the word “where” and used it in a wrong place.
5. Capitalization.
Hullon Willis on his book stated that there are two sources of the uncertainty about capitalization. First, the rule often calls for capital letters for specific reference and lower-case letters for general reference, as in president-president, Mayor-mayor, etc. but frequently the writer is not sure whether he is making a specific or general reference. Second, a capital letter is often used to give emphasis to an important word, as in this sentence “A study of Humanities is the only avenue to true education”. Moreover, writers are often uncertain as to when a word warrants capitalization for emphasis, for example, is Humanities a more important word in the above sentence than education?42
While according to Leo Filkelstein, Jr. there are some common reasons for capitalizing words:
42
• Capitalized names of specific persons, place, or things (proper noun)
• Capitalize abbreviations or acronym (ATM, USA, Ph.D) • Capitalize title that precedes a person’s name, but not those that
follow (Professor John Smith, the professor).43
• Capitalize the first word of every sentence and pronoun I. However, in some cases, some students did not put any capital letters in the beginning of the sentence and in proper noun because they do not certain to their own writing, and they are still doubt in giving capital letter.
6. Omission Word
Omission errors are characteristic by absence of an item that must appear in a well-formed utterance. Omission can occurs in morphology. Learners often leave out the third person singular morpheme –s, the plural marker-s and the past tense inflection –ed, a learner could say, for example” a strange happen to me yesterday”.44
The students sometimes added some useless word in the sentence in their writing that had better be omitted. For example “I went to a post office and then I sent….” It should be “I went to
43
Leo Filkenstein, Jr, Pocket Book of Technical Writing for Engineers and Scientists (Boston; McGraw–Hill, 2000), p. 204
44
post office and sent…..”. It is caused by their lack of knowledge and exercise in writing.
7. Spelling
Spelling is how to write a word correctly. For instance; wildt, senter, coupel, etc. they should be wild, center, couple, etc. spelling problems can be overcomed only through practice and if the students need more practice, they should arrange practice session with a friend.45
8. Punctuation
Punctuation is the practice of system of inserting various marks in written text in order to aid interpretation.46 Here are the kinds of punctuations in the sentence such as period [.], coma [ , ], semicolon [; ], colon [: ], hyphen [ - ], etc. and most of students misused the punctuation, eg, ‘ when I saw you for the first time. I was very surprised” he/she used period instead of coma. In this punctuation case, the students made errors because they do not pay attention in writing, whereas punctuation is important to make the meaning clear. They did not realize that written English is different from spoken English. Gesture, tones, and stressing can make the
45
Hullon Willis, op. cit.,p.237
46
meaning clear in spoken language but only punctuation can make the meaning clear.
9. Tense
Tense is a form taken by a verb to indicate the time at which the action or state is viewed as occurring.47 Some students were confused in using tenses in their writing. For example, “where did you go last night” this mistake is caused by their lack of grammar understanding. It is also caused by intra-lingual transfer overgeneralization. Transfer and overgeneralization are not distinct processes. Both result from the fact that the learner uses what he already known about language, in order to make sense of new experience. In the case of overgeneralization, it is his previous knowledge of the second language that the learner uses. In the case of transfer, the learner uses his previous mother tongue experience as a mean of organizing the second language.48
10. Word order
This kind of error is sometimes the result from immediate communication strategy when the learner tried to express a meaning, which their competence contained no appropriate items or rules at all. Overgeneralization and transfer may also become the result of immediate communication strategy. Indonesian word
47
Sylvia Chacker, Edmund Weiner, op.cit,.p.395
48
order is different from English word order. For example, “smart you are” it should be “you are smart” etc.
11. Word form
Word form is any variant of lexeme. Used as away of avoiding ambiguity of word, e.g. see, sees, seeing, etc.49 Overgeneralization and transfer can be the cause of error in word form. Indonesian word form is different from English word form. They often over-generalize the form of words. For example, “I were cooking fried rice” it should be “I was cooking fried rice”.
49
CHAPTER III
RESEARCH FINDINGS
A. Data Description
To know the result of the test, the writer made the table of the student’s error that is taken from the Data analysis. The able below is the recapitulation of student’s error classified based on the types of error, which are made by the students.
Table 2: The recapitulation of students’ errors
X
E1 E2 E3 E4 E5 E6 E7 E8 E9 E10 E11 Total
Errors
X1 8 3 5 2 1 0 2 6 1 1 0 30
X2 2 2 2 2 2 0 0 3 1 0 1 15
X3 0 7 8 0 5 0 2 1 8 0 0 31
X4 1 0 3 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 4
X5 9 5 3 1 5 1 2 2 8 1 0 37
X6 2 0 4 2 0 2 3 3 5 1 0 22
X7 2 3 5 1 4 3 3 2 5 3 0 31
X8 3 2 1 4 2 3 5 4 4 1 0 29
X9 7 4 5 1 2 4 2 1 3 0 1 29
Jumlah 36 30 39 13 22 14 23 24 38 8 3 251 Grammatical area:
Article : E 1
Add words : E 2
Word choice : E 3 Capitalization : E 4
Omit word : E 5
Spelling : E 6
Singular plural : E 7 Punctuation : E 8
Verb tense : E 9
Word order : E 10
Word form : E 11
B. Data Analysis
The writer analyzes the errors by using this formula: The number of each error
Frequency of the : x 100% Appearance of error Total number of error
Table 3: The frequency and the percentage of errors. The appearance of errors
No Type of error
frequency %
1. Article 36 15,47 %
2. Add word 30 11,90 %
3. Word choice 39 15,07 %
4. Capitalization 13 5,15 %
5. Omit word 22 8,73 %
6. Spelling 14 5,55 5
7. Singular plural 23 9,12 %
8. Punctuation 24 9,52 %
9. Verb tense 38 15,07 %
10. Word order 8 3,17 %
11. Word form 3 1,19 %
Total 251 100 %
1. Error Reconstruction
a. Analysis of student One
No Incorrect Sentence Errors Explanation
1. My house is small Punctuation It is a complete sentence and it should be separated with another sentence by giving a full stop in the last of the sentence
2. i have six rooms in my house
it should be capitalized. Spelling The word of bedroom is not
using double ‘e’ but single ‘e’. Punctuation: different from Indonesian usage is one kitchen, a living room, a dining room and a bathroom
Article To point a general or unspecified noun we use ‘a’ or ‘an’. In this case, the composer should use ‘a’ instead of ‘one’, because it is not an unspecified noun. Add word The composer should put a
more specific thing to describe, and in this case, the composer should add the be written in participle not in simple form. noun. So, the is not correctly used here but a.
6 and also the garnish of the flower at the table.
thing which is sticking on appropriate than then. Because the word then is usually used in an arrangement of sentence. 7 and then the bedroom
Add Word Adding some word is really needed in the sentence above to make the sentence more meaningful. Because the sentence is still not clear and unspecified.
8 My parents room Add Word The sentence above is still incomplete. So, it is still needed to be added with ‘in’ to make the sentence more meaningful and complete. Punctuation The sentence above is a
complex sentence. And it is the main sentence which still needs a supported sentence. Coma is usually used to separate between a main and a supported sentences like the sentence “In my parent’s bedroom,…….”.
used to separate between a main and supported sentences like the sentence “In my room,………..”. 11 There is single bed, the ward
robe, and the dressing table.
Article The word of dressing table in “and the dressing table” is an unspecified noun. So, the article the is incorrectly used but a “and a dressing table”.. Capitalization The word I is a personal
pronoun that shows a first singular person which has to be capitalized.
12 i have stove
Article In English usage, to point something, they usually use an article whether it is a specified or an unspecified noun. Article a is used in this case “I have a stove”.
Word Order English word order is not the same with Indonesian word order. In English, the explaining word is put after the explained word as the different from Indonesian word order that put the
shelf………”
Omit Word The article the is not needed in “the plates”. Because it is an unspecified noun that the things are not specified but it shows a number of plates “put plates, glasses,……”. Reconstruction:
My Lovely House
My house is small. I have six rooms in my house. There are two bedrooms, a kitchen, a living-room, a dinning room, and a bathroom. The first is the living-room. In my living room there is a small chair completed with it’s table and also a garnish of flower on the table.
And next to the living room is the bedroom. In my parents’ room, there is a big size of bed, a wardrobe, a dressing table, and a television. In my bedroom there is a single bed, and a dressing table.
In my kitchen, I have a stove, a sink to wash all dirty kitchen equipments, and a shelf to put plates, glasses, etc.
b. Analysis of Student Two
No Incorrect Sentence Errors Explanation
Omit Word The sentence “I don’t have…..” will not be an understandable word in the sentence above because the point of view of the sentence is not reached, but it will be more understandable “I have a small……..”.
1. I don’t have a big house but it is very nice
above. The sentence will be more meaningful and understandable “ I have a small house but it is very nice”.
Add Word There are some word missing in the sentence that make the sentence incomplete and can not be understood. So, the writer should add some word in it “It is small but……….”. Word Choice The word stay is not appropriate to the sentence. Because, it explains that it will happen for awhile, the word live will be more appropriate to the sentence
“……..I feel very example, I am eating. And in this case, after added by some word the verb should be in ing-form, because it is a present perfect continuous tense “……..I feel very comfortable living in it”. Verb Tense Verb tense is dependable. It
depends on the time when something happens and also depends on the context. And the sentence above will be more correct “they are only …………”.
Punctuation In mentioning some things, a coma is usually used. It is used to separate one thing to another “….a bedroom, and a kitchen”.
3 It is only living room, a bedroom and kitchen
added in this case “……a living room, a bedroom, and a kitchen”.
Punctuation In mentioning some things, a coma is usually used. It is used to separate one thing to another “…..behind the house, the bedroom is in the middle, and………..”. 4 The kitchen is behind the
house and bedroom in the middle and living room is in front of the bedroom thing mentioned “…..behind the house, the bedroom is in supported sentences like the
sentence “Beside
TV,………..”.
Add Word The sentence is incomplete sentence, it is still not understandable and still needs some word to make
the sentence more
understandable “ Beside TV, there is…….”.
5 beside TV a refrigerator
Capitalization Capitalization is used in the first sentence or to show a
Punctuation In mentioning some things, full stop is used only in the last of the sentence but not in the middle of mentioning. Coma is usually used in it “……photograph, a calendar, a clock,………..”.
Article In English usage, an article is usually used to show a noun either specified and
unspecified noun
“……photograph, a calendar, a clock,…..”.
Reconstruction:
I have a small house but it is very nice and beautiful. It is mall, but I feel very convertible living in it. There are only a living-room, a bedroom, a kitchen and there is a small bath room in the kitchen.
The kitchen is behind the house, the bedroom is in middle, and the living room is in the front of in the bedroom.
c. Analysis of Student Three
No Incorrect Sentence Errors Explanation 1. My house located in Pondok
Bahar
Add Word The sentence above is still incomplete. It still need an auxiliary verb to make the sentence complete “My house is located………” 2 And the situation is
comfortable.
passive form. So, participle
Plural A plural is usually determine by adding s/es in the last of third singular person the verb should be added by s/es “A room belongs to my parents”.
Word Choice Because the sentence above is not coherent to the sentence before. So, the word choice of the sentence is still not appropriate if related to the sentence before “A room belongs to my younger writer still needs to add some words to make the sentence understandable “A room belongs to my younger brother”.
the sentence before “ and the specified or an unspecified noun. And because it is an unspecified noun, so article a is used in this case “Each explanation of the sentence before. A coma is usually the sentence without changing its point of view
understandable. In this case the word make is not some word to make the word
more complete and
Word Form The word calm is not correctly used in the sentence. Because, it is an adjective but it should be an adverb to explain the sentence “In order I can stay calmly inside of it.
written in ing-form “including the ……….”. Reconstruction:
My house is located in Pondok Bahar. Its location is very strategies and the situation is very comfortable. It is about 350 large and its forms is simple but I like it very much. Everything in my house is made of wood, so that, it looks an antique house.
When you come into my house, the first thing you will find is a living-room where there are four chairs and a table that are usually used for the guest. And when you step your feet to the left side, you will find a family room which we use to fill our resting time in my house. In family room there is a television and a sofa.
There are three bedrooms in my house. A room belongs to my parents, a room belongs to my younger brother, and the other belongs to me. Each bedroom has a bathroom. So that, it is easy for us to take a bath. And let me tell you what are there in my room. I have decorated my room as beautiful as possible in order I can stay calmly inside of it..
The last room is the kitchen. It is different as every families has. Like I have told that everything in my house is made of wood including the kitchen Cabinets.
d. Analysis of Student Four
No Incorrect Sentence Errors Explanation 1 I live at Jl. Mansyur No 7
Gondrong
usually used to show the word flower and plant should be added by s as plurals “Flowers and Plants”.
3 On the left side Word Choice To show the position, in will be more correctly used to complete the sentence above “In the left side”.
4 And on the right side Word Choice To show the position, in will be more correctly used to complete the sentence above “ And in the right side”. 5 Inside of house Article To show some thing, English
people usually use an article. And because the word house is mentioned in the sentence
I am Harry. I live at Jl. Mansur No.7 Gondrong. My house is very nice, it is pink and green. There are many flower and plants in front of it. There is also a pond with some beautiful fishes, in the left side, there is a food shop and in the right side is my uncle’s house.
plants there.
e. Analysis of Student Five
No Incorrect Sentence Errors Explanation
1 And back side my house Add Word The sentence above is still high wall is actually only one wall “standing a high wall………”.
3 A guest room with the sofa and tables
Article To show some thing, English people usually use an article. And because the word sofa and table involve into an unspecified noun. So, article a is used in the two words “a sofa and a table”.
Omit Word The writer should omit some word from the sentence beside; because the sentence is still too complicated “you will see big rose embroidery on the wall”.
4 Stand in the wall you will see a big rose embroidery
living room people usually use an article. And because the word living room is an unspecified noun, so article a is used to complete the sentence “………….is a living room”. Add Word The sentence above is actually continual sentence with two different actions. gerund, and a gerund is using ing-form “and talking about everything”.
7 In living room Article It is a specified noun. So, it should be added an article the to show the word living room “In the living room” Article The word sofa in the
sentence is an unspecified noun. In English, they use an article to show something. Article a is used in this case “a sofa..”.
8 Sofa to watching movie
Verb Form The verb above is exactly an infinitive verb. And ing-form mentioning two different things. And is usually used to make the sentence more understandable “a cupboard, and a dining table”.
10 I have two bookcase to put all the books
“….two bookcases...” actually continual sentence with two different actions. in English “a table bed”. 14 The place to produce
everything to eat
Word Choice The word produce is not appropriately used in the sentence above. Because it is a kitchen so the word cook is The personal pronoun of it is they. And to be for they is are “there are two stoves”. 15 There is two stove
Plural The word stove is actually a plural according to the sentence. And in English, s/es is usually added to show a plural noun “there are two stoves”.
16 Kitchen cabinet Spelling The word kabinet is not letter k used here but c “cabinet”. 17 Plates, glasses Add Word The sentence above is about
make the sentence more understandable “plates, and glasses”
Verb Tense The word two indicates that the word is more than one. The personal pronoun of it is they. And tobe for they is are “…there are two…”.
18 In my house there is two bathroom
Plural The word bathroom is actually a plural according to the sentence. And in English, s/es is usually added to show a plural noun “…two bathrooms”
19 And one is beside the kitchen
Word Choice The word one is not correctly used in the sentence. Because it is about mentioning something and the sentence is the last thing mentioned, so, “the other……” is more correctly used.
The first thing if you enter my house you will see green fences and a small yard. In front of my house there is bench, the place for enjoying the night air. If you open the door, you will see a guest room completed with sofas and the tables. The roof of my guest room decorated with some unique lamps made from Batavia. You will see a big rose embroidery on the wall.
Next to guest room is living room the place for us to take rest, talk about everything. In living room there is a television, a sofa to watch a movie, a cupboard, and a small dining table. I have two bookcases to put all books.
On the west side of the living-room is my bed room. I feel comfortable if I am in my bedroom. There is wardrobe, a single bed, and a dressing table. And I can see my small yard and my neighbor’s house from the window.
On the north side there is my parent’s room. In it exists a double bed, a wardrobe, and my mother’s dressing table,. Next to my parent’s room is my brother’s room. There is a wardrobe, a single bed, and a door which connected to a small hall to put a computer.
As I told you before that my house is not too big and not too small but I love my house. I feel safe if I am in my house.
f. Analysis of Student Six
No Incorrect Sentence Errors Explanation 1 I live at Jl. Kihajar
sentence is not correctly used to complete and make the sentence understandable. Live is more correct in this case.
2 I stay here have ten years
Verb Tense The word ten years indicates that it happens in long duration of time. And according the tenses, it uses present perfect continues “I have been living here for ten years”. more appropriate in this case “almost………….”.
sentence. And in English, s/es is usually added to show
a plural noun
“……….friends come and sit here”.
Capitalization In the first sentence, capital letter is used “Beside sofa…”.
Punctuation After the word sofa it should be put a coma, because the next sentence is an emphasizing sentence before “Beside sofa, there………”.
Capitalization Capitalization is not used in the middle of the sentence “and there is a telephone”.
9 In the wall Word Choice The word in is not
Capitalization In the first sentence, capital letter is used “Beside that……”.
11 beside that there is a painting
Punctuation After the word that, it should be put a coma, because the next sentence is an emphasizing sentence before “Beside that, there………”. 12 My living room always
clean
Verb Tense The sentence above is actually a nominal sentence. Tobe or auxiliary verb is used instead of a verb “my living room is always cleaned”
clean third singular person. S or es “because my color is blue, so I”.
Add Word A computer and a printer are two different things. So, the word and should be added in the sentence “A computer and its printer on the table”. Punctuation After the word computer, it
should be put a coma, because the next sentence is an explaining sentence before “beside the computer, there…”.
17 Beside the computer a spring bed and two pillow on it
Plural The word pillow is actually a plural noun according to the sentence. And in English, s/es is usually added to show
a plural noun
“………and two pillows on it”.
Reconstruction:
My name is Ira Gunawan. I am nineteen years old. I live on Jl. Kihajar Dewantoro no. 18. I live with my family. I have been living here for ten years.
My house is very nice. In front of my house, there are many plants and flowers. Almost everyday I water them. There are five rooms in my house. They are a living-room, a bedroom, a bathroom, and a kitchen.
In the living-room, there is a set of sofa. My father often talks to his friends in the room. Sometimes my friends come and sit there. Beside the sofa, there is a small table and there is a telephone on it. On the wall, there are a clock and a picture. Beside that, there is a painting. My living-room is always clean. Because my mother always keeps it clean. The dining-room is behind the living-room. There is a table to eat. And there are many things on the table like plates, spoons, forks, knives, etc. Every morning we have a breakfast there.
printer on the table. Beside the computer, there is a spring bed and two pillows on it. I put my photograph and a calendar on the wall.
g. Analysis of Student Seven
No Incorrect Sentence Errors Explanation
Word Choice The word stay in the sentence is not correctly used to complete and make the
Verb Tense The sentence above actually show a perfect continues tense. So, ing-form is used in the sentence. The correct
still needs to be added with some word “A small garden with any kind of plants”. 7 You will see a guess room Spelling The correct spelling of the
sofas and the tables with the beautiful flowers.
Punctuation The sentence should be separated by a coma after the word guest room. Because, the next sentence is an emphasizing sentence “In the guest room, there are……..”. Punctuation The sentence should be
separated by a coma after the word house. Because, the the other is for putting books and computer Word
Verb Tense A verb should be written in ing-form if it is proceeded by a preposition “one of them is for praying and……….”. omit some word to make the sentence more simple “In the kitchen, there are….”.
12 In the kitchen of course there are two gas stoves
next sentence is an emphasizing sentence” In the kitchen, there are….”.
Article The word cupboard in the sentence is an unspecified noun. So, article a/an is used to show it not the “a
I really love my house. I have been living in my house since I was still baby. I will never forget my house, because it has accompanied me to live in it. My house has many appliances such as guest room, living room, bed room, kitchen, bathroom, garden, etc.
For the first time you enter my house, you will see a small garden with any kinds of plants. If you come into my house, you will see the guest room. In the guest room, there are sofas and tables with beautiful flowers. In my house, we have two small rooms. One of them is for praying and the other is for putting all books and computer.
h. Analysis of Student Eight
No Incorrect Sentence Errors Explanation
1 it has six rooms. Capitalization In the first sentence, a capital letter is used “It has six
television, computer, radio, and many others.
Article In English, to show something, they usually use an article. Article a is used in
this case auxiliary verb is used. And a first singular person’s tobe is am in this case “That is why indicates that is a possession
