A STUDY ON THE KNOWLEDGE OF PREFIX UN- AND DIS-
OF THE SIXTH AND EIGHTH SEMESTER STUDENTS
OF THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE EDUCATION
STUDY PROGRAM OF SANATA DHARMA UNIVERSITY
A SARJANA PENDIDIKAN THESIS
Presented as Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements to Obtain the Sarjana Pendidikan Degree
in English Language Education
By
Elisabeth Restivika Ayu Marieta
Student Number: 061214072
ENGLISH LANGUAGE EDUCATION STUDY PROGRAM
DEPARTMENT OF LANGUAGE AND ARTS EDUCATION
FACULTY OF TEACHERS TRAINING AND EDUCATION
SANATA DHARMA UNIVERSITY
YOGYAKARTA
i
A STUDY ON THE KNOWLEDGE OF PREFIX UN- AND DIS-
OF THE SIXTH AND EIGHTH SEMESTER STUDENTS
OF THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE EDUCATION
STUDY PROGRAM OF SANATA DHARMA UNIVERSITY
A SARJANA PENDIDIKAN THESIS
Presented as Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements to Obtain the Sarjana Pendidikan Degree
in English Language Education
By
Elisabeth Restivika Ayu Marieta
Student Number: 061214072
ENGLISH LANGUAGE EDUCATION STUDY PROGRAM DEPARTMENT OF LANGUAGE AND ARTS EDUCATION FACULTY OF TEACHERS TRAINING AND EDUCATION
SANATA DHARMA UNIVERSITY YOGYAKARTA
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ABSTRACT
Marieta, Elisabeth Restivika Ayu. (2013). A Study on the Knowledge of Prefix Un- and Dis- of the Sixth and Eighth Semester Students of the English
Language Education Study Program of Sanata Dharma University.
Yogyakarta: English Language Education Study Program, Sanata Dharma University
Prefix has long been acknowledged as a significant part of English linguistics taught in English Language Education Study Program. However, it is argued that students still have difficulties on the use of some prefixes such as
un-and dis-. Thus, a study on prefix will undoubtedly contribute to the body of knowledge and the development of English learning as well.
This research investigates the usage of prefix un- and dis- mastered by sixth semester and eighth semester students of English Language Education Study Program. To answer this question, the researcher conducted a research by employing a survey method which used a test as an instrument and selected the purposive sampling consisting of 30 question items in the form of gap-filling was administered to fifty-four students of sixth semester and thirty students of eighth semester students of English Language Education Study Program of Sanata Dharma University in academic year 2011/ 2012.
The knowledge of prefixation of dis- and un- among sixth and eighth semester students achieves the category of Good. It comprises 86.7% of the total number of sixth semester students, which means the majority of the students have already mastered the prefixation of dis- and un-. The percentage number from that data reveals 76% of the total number of eighth semester students participating in the test already achieved good scores. The result of the test showed that sixth and eighth semester students have very good knowledge in prefixation of un- and dis-. There are thirty questions in the questionnaire, sixteen of which are to
investigate students’ knowledge of prefixation of dis-, while eighteen are aimed to
learn students’ knowledge of the use of prefix un-. Higher score of incorrect
answers is found in prefixation of un-, which showed 5.5%. and 4.8% of sixth and eighth semester students, respectively. Incorrect prefixation of dis- reveal the total percentage of 21% and 22% of sixth and eighth semester students, respectively.
This findings lead to the conclusion that the knowledge of prefixation
un-and dis- is already high. However, the knowledge of prefixation un- is higher than the knowledge of prefixation dis- for both sixth and eighth semester students. In addition, suggestions and recommendations for lecturers and researchers are also provided in this study.
vii
ABSTRAK
Marieta, Elisabeth Restivika Ayu. 2013. A Study on the Knowledge of Prefix Un- and Dis- of the Sixth and Eighth Semester Students of the English
Language Education Study Program of Sanata Dharma University.
Yogyakarta: Program Studi Pendidikan Bahasa Inggris, Universitas Sanata Dharma.
Sudah sejak lama, prefix dikenal sebagai bagian penting dari linguistik Bahasa Inggris yang diajarkan di prodi Pendidikan Bahasa Inggris. Akan tetapi, telah dikemukakan bahwa para siswa masih mengalami kesulitan pada penggunaan prefix seperti un- dan dis-. Oleh karena itu, penelitian pada penggunaan prefix niscaya akan menambah pengetahuan maupun perkembangan tentang pembelajaran bahasa Inggris.
Penelitian ini meneliti tentang kemampuan para mahasiswa prodi Pendidikan Bahasa Inggris semester enam dan delapan pada pengunaan prefix
un- dan dis-. Untuk menjawab rumusan masalah ini, peneliti melakukan penelitian metode survey dengan menggunakan tes sebagai instrumen penelitian yang terdiri dari 30 butir soal dalam bentuk isian dan memilih 54 siswa semester enam dan 30 siswa semester delapan prodi Pendidikan Bahasa Inggris Universitas Sanata Dharma tahun akademik 2011/ 2012.
Kemampuan para siswa semester enam dan delapan dalam menggunakan prefix un- and dis- mendapatkan kategori Baik. Dengan persentase 87% dari jumlah keseluruhan siswa semester enam yang diteliti sudah menguasai penggunaan prefix un- dan dis-. Untuk siswa semester delapan angka persentase mencapai 77%. Dari data tes menunjukkan bahwa siswa semester enam dan delapan memiliki kemampuan sangat baik pada penggunaan prefix un- dan dis-.
Ada 30 butir soal di lembar test, yang terdiri dar i enam belas butir soal untuk mengukur kemampuan para siswa dalam menggunakan prefix dis-, dan delapan belas butir soal prefix un-. Para siswa melakukan kesalahan jawaban pada penggunaan prefix un- dengan persentase 5.5% oleh siswa semester enam sedangkan siswa semester delapan 4.8%. Total persentase pada kesalahan penggunaan prefix dis- adalah 21% oleh siswa semester enam dan 22 % oleh siswa semester delapan.
Hasil temuan ini bisa disimpulkan bahwa kemampuan siswa pada penggunaan prefix un- dan dis- cukup tinggi. Kemampuan penggunaan prefix
un-lebih tinggi daripada kemampuan penggunaan prefix dis- untuk siswa semester enam maupun delapan. Penelitian ini juga memberikan beberapa saran dan rekomendasi.
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ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
From the depth of my heart I express my deep sincere gratitude to the
Jesus Christ for the blessings He had bestowed upon me to do this work. It would
be impossible for me to conquer all the obstacles without Jesus, the only faithful
friend I could count on. I also devote my gratitude to Mother Mary, who has never
stopped praying for me.
Second, I offer my sincerest gratitude to my supervisor, Caecilia
Tutyandari S.Pd., M.Pd., who has provided inspiring guidance for the successful
completion of my research work and supported me throughout my thesis with her
patience and knowledge. I deem it as my privilege to work under her guidance. I
know she could have just kicked me out of her thesis consultation class when I did
not show up for two semesters. Nevertheless, she kept guiding and motivating me
to reach the finish line. I can never thank her enough for that. I am greatly
indebted to the lecturers of Translation Class, Chosa Kastuhandani, S.Pd.,
M.Hum. for his permission to allow me to hold a research in his classes. I thank
Astri and Lia for helping me to distribute the test to the eighth semester students. I
also thank sixth and eighth semester students of the English Language Study
Program academic year of 2011-2012 for helping me to complete the test.
My greatest gratitude addresses to my parents and my grandfather, FX.
Mujino and Ch. Dwi Setyorini and RB. Sukiman, for their great love, prayer,
encouragement and support so that I can complete my study and this thesis. Also
to my sisters and brothers, Lutgardis Festidita R.A. and Denis Yoga Vianda, I
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members that I cannot mention one by one for all the support in the process of
finishing the thesis.
My special thankfulness goes to all my best friend, Rizki for maintaining
our friendship and encouraging me; Tata my loyal partner in thesis consultation
with Bu Ndari for all the reminders and support; Satrio and Guntur for helping me
with the proofreading, writing and discussing which meant a lot to me. My hearty
thanks to Sari, Rita, Christin, Dika, Adek, Wasis for the sharings and jokes.
Finally, I thank all those who have helped me directly or indirectly in the
successful completion of my thesis. May God grant His blessings to us all.
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
Page
TITLE PAGE ... i
APPROVAL PAGE ... ii
STATEMENT OF WORK’S ORIGINALITY ... iv
PERNYATAAN PERSETUJUAN PUBLIKASI ... v
ABSTRACT ... vi
ABSTRAK ... vii
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ... viii
TABLE OF CONTENTS ... x
LIST OF TABLES ... xiv
LIST OF FIGURES ... xv
LIST OF APPENDICES ... xvi
CHAPTER I: INTRODUCTION A. Research Background ... 1
B. Research Problem ... 3
C. Problem Limitation ... 4
D. Research Objective ... 4
E. Research Benefits ... 4
F. Definition of Terms ... 5
1. Prefix ... 5
xi
3. The Sixth and Eighth Semester Students ... 6
CHAPTER II: REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE A. Theoretical Description ... 7
1. Review of Related Studies ... 7
2. Morphology ... 9
3. Affixation ... 10
a. Suffixation ... 11
b. Prefixation ... 11
c. Interfixation ... 11
d. Infixation ... 12
e. Circumfixation ... 12
f. Mixed Types of Affixation ... 13
g. Transfixation ... 13
4. Prefix ... 13
a. Definition of Prefix ... 13
b. Classification of Prefix ... 14
1) Negative Prefixes ... 14
2) Reversation or Privative prefixes ... 14
3) Pejorative Prefixes ... 14
4) Prefixes of Degree or Size ... 14
5) Prefixes of Attitude ... 14
xii
7) Prefixes of Time And Order ... 15
8) Number Prefixes ... 15
9) Other Prefixes ... 15
10)Conversion Prefixes ... 15
5. Negative Prefixes in English ... 15
B. Theoretical Framework ... 17
CHAPTER III: RESEARCH METHODOLOGY A. Research Method ... 19
B. Research Setting ... 19
C. Research Participants ... 20
D. Research Instrument and Data Collection ... 20
1. Research Instrument ... 20
2. Data Collection ... 22
E. Data Analysis Technique ... 23
F. Research Procedure ... 23
CHAPTER IV: RESEARCH RESULTS AND DISCUSSION A. Students’ Knowledge in Prefixation of un- and dis- ... 25
B. The Analysis of the Test Item ... 30
xiii
B. Recommendations ... 43
xiv
LIST OF TABLES
Table Page
3.1 The Classification of Reliability Coefficient ... 22
4.1 The Sixth Semester Students’ Score
in Relation to the Category of Knowledge ... 28
4.2 The Eighth Semester Students’ Score
xv
LIST OF FIGURES
Figure Page
4.1 The Summary of the Sixth Semester Students’ Correct
Answers in the Test ... 26
4.2 The Summary of the Eighth Semester Students’ Correct
Answers in the Test ... 26
4.3 The Number of the Sixth Semester Students
who answer dis- questions incorrectly ... 30 4.4 The Number of the Sixth Semester Students
who answer un- questions incorrectly ... 33
4.5 The Number of the Eighth Semester Students
who answer dis- questions incorrectly ... 35 4.6 The Number of the Eighth Semester Students
xvi
LIST OF APPENDICES
Page
Appendix A: Surat Ijin Penelitian ... 47
Appendix B: Test Item ... 48
Appendix C: Answer Key for the Test ... 50
Appendix D: Participants’ Score of the Test ... 53
1
CHAPTER I
INTRODUCTION
This part is divided into six parts. The first part is the background of the
research, which presents the general aims of the research. The second part is
research problem, which provides questions to be answered in this research. The
third part is problem limitation. In this section, the writer limits the focus of the
research. The fourth part is research objectives, which presents the expected
results of the research. The fifth part is research benefits, which reveals the
benefits of the research for relevant parties. The last part of this chapter is
definition of terms, which is to clarify the terms used in the research.
A. Research Background
It has been known that learning a foreign language is not an easy skill,
because it is a combination of many components. These components include
phonology, morphology, syntax, semantics, and many other components. When
learning the language or specifics within the language, it will give benefit to know
all the components that are available. The components are also formed by words.
Words are pillars to any language. To make the statement clear, the words
are arranged. Fromkin and Rodman (1988) say that learning a language includes
‘agreed upon’ meaning of certain strings of sounds and learning how to combine
This research is related to one of those components. The component is
morphology. Morphology constitutes a significant part in the structure of a
language. Prefix, part of the affixes, includes in it. According to Aronoff and
Fudeman (2005) say that prefix is affixes attached before the stem (p.2). Katamba
(1993) classifies similarly “a prefix is an affix attached before a root or a stem or a
base like re-, un-, in-“ (p. 44). Prefix does not consist of just one word. Prefixes
are the small letter groups that convey a meaning and come at the beginning of
words. Consequently, prefix changes the meaning of a word in a different way
that it does not affect the category of the base. For example, if the base is a Noun,
the prefix derivative must also be a Noun. Szymanek (1989) argues that those
changes are the most distinctive trait of a prefix compared to other forms of affix
(p. 64).
The students of English Education Study Program learn English linguistics
as a compulsory subject, where prefix is an important part of learning. However,
they may not notice of the prefix usage because prefix is not deeply learned by the
students. The writer realizes that students are more interested in using English
negation not than negation prefixes un- and dis- because it is simple. As the writer experienced, merely using not to show negation in a sentence give less any senses of concept or idea. By knowing the word choice, words can function in different
modes. Several reasons are known to be the factors behind studens’ awareness of
the use of prefixes un- and dis- such as note-taking and memorization (Veniranda, 1994, p. 62) which bring understanding and awareness of using
expected to know more about significance and identification of English forms, not
just general forms. To know each aspect of the English is also important. In
English Education Study program, prefixes are not learned intensively by the
students since they comprise only a small part of Morphology subject.
It is considered that when learners have sustained at a certain level of
vocabulary mastery, at the same time they also have an awareness in mind to use
and to choose words. Concerned with the usage of prefix un- and dis-, one can immediately show the correct form of prefix –un and dis-, for example ‘able’ has
to attach with un- to form unable and ‘agree’ has to attach with dis- to form disagree.
From this condition, some questions may be formulated, such as how
students’ awareness underlying their choice of word usage is and what aspect
influences students’ choices of prefixes are. As prefix is an inseparable part of
linguistic components and a determining factor in word formation which provides
meaning, it is argued that a research on prefix is significant to the body of
knowledge of English linguistics. With the focus on analyzing prefix –un and dis-, the research is conducted to reveal the mastery of students of English Education
Study Program.
B. Research Problem
The problem formulation can be stated as follows.
C. Problem Limitation
In order to make the research specific, there is a limitation of this research.
This research only deals with prefix un- and dis-. The survey conducted in the certain subject class and the participants are the sixth and eighth semester students
of English Education Study Program in order to know their mastery of prefix
un-and dis-.
D. Research Objective
The objective of this research is intended to answer the question stated on
the problem formulation. It is to find out the mastery of prefix un- and dis- among the sixth and eighth semester students of English Language Education Study
Program.
E. Research Benefits
For the students, this research will encourage them to increase their
mastery of vocabulary usage in relation to enrich their word choice. It can also
increase the students awareness in using prefix un- and dis- instead of using negation not. For English teachers, this research can provide consideration to build the usage students word choice. Knowing the background of the students’
mastery of prefix un- and dis-, will help them to develop future teaching
F. Definition Of Terms
In this section, there are clarifications of the terms used in the research.
Definition of terms are provided here to avoid misunderstanding of the terms.
1. Prefix
Prefix is one of the variations of affix. Affix itself is defined as the
combination of a bound morpheme with a stem or root. The bound morpheme can
be derivational or inflectional. Prefix consists of the attachment of a bound
morpheme in front of the base-form. Prefix is significant to the word formation
and meaning. James F. Sheperd (1987) says:
“Improve your vocabulary by analyzing the prefixes, suffixes, bases,
and other parts of words to figure out their meaning…(p.59). By
mastering the meaning of prefixes, you can increase your receptive vocabulary by hundreds, or even thousands of words in a very short
time…(p.72). If you improve your ability to determine the meanings of
derivatives by locating the prefixes and base words in them, you will
have less need to refer to a dictionary for definition…(p.186)”.
Linda Ward Beech , et. al (1984) also states that knowing the meaning of a
prefix can often help you figure out the meaning of entire word (p. 105). Thus,
learning the meanings and the spellings of prefixes may help you figure out the
meanings of many unfamiliar words”. Knowing prefixes can help students in
guessing the meaning of a word, even if it is encountering for the first time.
In this study, prefix un- and dis- are chosen as the focus in assessing
students’ mastery. Prefix un- and dis- express negative meaning when attached to
2. Mastery
Mastery is defined as masterly ability, expert knowledge, eminent skill or
power (“Mastery”). In this study, the researcher aimed at finding out the mastery
of the sixth and eighth semester students of English Language Education Study
Program in prefixation of un- and dis-. The students are assumed to have mastered the prefixation of un- and dis- if they are familiar with the use of it by deciding whether it is un- or dis- to a certain word in a sentence
The minimum standard of mastery is fifty six percent (56%), as it is
written in Peraturan Akademik Universitas Sanata Dharma Yogyakarta (2002). If
the students’ scores are above the minimum standard of mastery, it means that
they have mastered the prefixation of un- and dis-.
3. The Sixth and Eighth Semester Students
The participants of this research were the sixth and eighth semester
students in academic year 2011/2012 of English Language Education Study
Program of Sanata Dharma University. They were selected as the participants
because by considering the higher level, they are more familiar with words and
7
CHAPTER II
REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE
This chapter presents two sub-chapters of discussion. The first is
discussion of theories related to this study, which is presented in theoretical
description. The second part is theoretical framework which summarizes and
synthesizes the relevant theories to the study.
A. Theoretical Description
1. Review of Related Studies
The concept of prefixation has been one of the interesting topics which
play a significant role in the study of English linguistics. The topic has attracted
scholars to conduct research on it. The research focuses on the analysis of the
mastery of various types of prefixes found in English language. Further, the
mastery of prefixation is usually implemented to the respective level of students.
One of the most recent studies on English prefixes was conducted by
Lehrer in a paper entitled Prefixes in English Formation. It aimed at investigating the relationships and constraints on full lexemes and semantic units smaller than
lexemes. It also dealt with the description of the semantics of English prefixes,
where they had two key properties of iterative and free combination (Lehrer,
2009, pp. 133-148). The study revealed that many English prefixes have semantic
properties like those of full lexemes. They also have selection restrictions, where
syntactic category. Moreover, it is found that prefixes re- and un- are in complementary distribution with each other as well as with internal datives and
certain idiom chunks, where the majority of other prefixes do not fit into that
class.
Another study of English prefix was conducted by Fedorowicz-Bacz. Her
study attempted to analyze the syntactic function of negative prefixes in English
and Polish participial adjectives (Fedorowicz-Bacz, 1977, pp. 111-122). Based on
the assumption that the most common negative prefix in English is the particle un, this study compares prefixation un- in English with nie- in Polish. It leads to the findings which reveal that in the process of negation by means of negative
prefixes un- and nie- in English and Polish respectively, verbal participles change their syntactic category and become adjectives. This is the consequence of the
syntactic function of the morphological operation of negative prefixation.
In relation to the topic of prefixation un- and dis- analyzed in this study, there was a previous study conducted by Yohana Veniranda (1994). Her study
investigated the special or regular rules about the usage of prefix un- and dis-. It also aimed at knowing the mastery of prefix un- and dis- among the seventh semester students of English Language Education Study Program and the
determining factors which underlie the students’ choices of the usage of prefix
un-and dis-. The results reveal that prefix un- is mostly used with adjectives while
dis- is mostly used with nouns. Further, the students’ mastery of prefixation
knowledge on prefix derived from their learning and memorization. However,
there is still a need to give a proper proportion to the discussion of prefixes in
language teaching so that this specific language element can be discussed and
mastered thoroughly.
This study, while taking a similar issue of the mastery of prefixation
un-and dis- among the students of English Language Education Study Program,
focuses on analyzing students’ mastery of the use of prefix un- and dis- among
sixth semester and eighth semester students. It is argued that students of English
Language Education Study Program in those semesters have already profound
knowledge of English linguistics including prefix. This study also attempts to
know the differences of students’ mastery level of prefixation un- compared to prefixation dis-. Therefore, through the questionnaire which consists of questions related to the prefixation un- and dis-, the students’ mastery of prefixation un- and
dis- can be measured.
2. Morphology
Morphology, according to Aronoff and Fudeman (2005), deals with words,
their internal structure, and how they are formed. It is conducted through
identification, analysis and description of linguistic units, consisting of
morphemes, lexemes, affixes, parts of speech, intonation, and implied context (p.
1-2).
Within the scope of morphology, two terms of inflectional morphology
lexemes from lexicon and constructs them to serve as actual words in actual
sentences. Derivational morphology involves two general processes, namely
affixation and compounding. Different from inflectional morphology, the process
of lexemes creation in derivational morphology significantly change the words not
only in form but also in meaning and category (“Derivational Morphology”, n.d.).
Derivational morphology in the process of changing the meaning of a word can
take place in the form of affixation where affixes attached to a base change the
meaning of the word. The example of such process can be seen in the word belief. When attached with prefix dis-, the word is modified into disbelief, therefore experiences changes in meaning due to the difference between the word belief and
disbelief, where disbelief means the opposite meaning of the belief.
Derivational morphology can also take a word from any category of verbs,
nouns, or adjectives to change it into a word of another category. The example of
changing a word’s category into another can be seen in the word kind, which
stands as an adjective. When kind is attached with suffix -ness into the word
kindness, the word undergoes changes in category since kindness falls into the category of noun.
3. Affixation
In relation to this study, the concept of affixation as a part of derivational
morphology is elaborated. Affixation involves several different process including
suffixation, prefixation, interfixation, circumfixation, infixation, mixed-type of
affixation, and transfixation. Szymanek (1989), Affixation is probably the most
in human language (p.62). According to Szymanek (1989), affixation can be
divided into :
a. Suffixation
Szymanek (1989) points out that suffixation consist in attaching a suffix to
a base (root) (p. 63). A suffix is an affix which follows the base form. It is argued
to be the most common type of affixation found in many languages, including
Turkish, Eskimo, and Yana. In such languages, prefix can only be found in a very
few occurence but there are complex uses of suffixes.
b. Prefixation
Prefixation is a method of affixing contrary to suffixation. Szymanek
(1989) argues that a prefix is attached in front of the base-form (p. 63-64).
Compared to suffix, there is an underlying difference in which the attachment of a
prefix does not affect the category of the base. It means that if the base is a Noun,
the prefixed derivative must also be a Noun. This is in contrast to suffix, where
category shift is the most recurring phenomenon.
c. Interfixation
To understand the concept of interfix, the designation of confix must
precede it. It consists of a variety of both suffixes and prefixes in one attachment.
Thus, confix as an affix follows continuous affixation insinuated into the line of
the base. Within the concept of confix, there is a distinct type called interfix,
which is defined as “a confix which precedes a root and follows another root”
(Mel’cuk, 1982, p.86). The term confix is meant to apply to a variety of vocalic
languages, in certain types of compound-words (as cited in Szymanek, 1989, p.
64). Interfix functions as a redundant factor of a compound since it has no clear
meaning of its own. In English language, the example can be found in -o- in neo-classical compounds.
d. Infixation
According to Szymanek (1989) infixation describes a morphological
process whereby a bound morpheme (inflectional or derivational) is inserted into
the base form (usually, into a root-morpheme) (p. 65). The insertion in certain
cases is totally flanked to both sides, creating the division of the root but the infix
itself is not divided. In English language, the example can be found in some
swear-words such as “al-bloody-mighty” or “air con-bloody-ditioner.”
e. Circumfixation
The notion of circumfix is usually associated with the discontinuous
morph composed of two parts which cover the base-element (as cited in
Szymanek, 1989, p. 66). This affix does not divide the root but it is itself divided.
The concept of circumfixation is useful in describing the (inflectional) formation
of the German past-participle in ge-…-t/-en, as in
frag-(en) ‘ask’ – ge-frag-t
f. Mixed Types of Affixation
Szymanek (1989) generates the term prefixal-suffixal derivation from the theory of Slavic word-formation with reference to cases where both a prefix and a
suffix seem to have been attached simultaneously to a given base-form (p. 66-67).
There are also other "mixed" types of affixation e.g. interfixal-suffixal or
prefixal¬ postfixal derivation. g. Transfixation
Szymanek (1989) reveals that a transfix is defined as another kind of
discontinuos affix (like a circumfix above) that cuts across the root morpheme (p.
68). They are both combined ‘like two interlocking combs’. It is commonly found
in the semantic languages. For example, in Egyptian Colloquial Arabic the
consonant k-t-b ‘write’ may be filled with various combinations of vowel, kátab
‘write’ and kitáab ‘book’.
4. Prefix
a. Definition of Prefix
Prefixes came into modern English from Old English, French, Greek, and
Latin. W. A. Gatherer (1986) states that there are about sixty-six common English
Prefixes (p.1). Prefix, according to Aronoff and Fudeman (2005), is an affix that
go before the stem (p.2). John Robert Shaw and Janet Shaw (1970) points out that
prefix is a letter or letters placed before or joined to the beginning of a word that
prefix is an element that can be placed before a word or root to make another
word with a different meaning or function (p.313).
b. Classification of Prefix
Major prefixes can be classified according to meaning. Quirk, et. al.
(1973), makes the classification as follows (p. 430).
1) Negative Prefixes
They are un-, non-, in-, im-, it-, dis-, a-, an-. 2) Reversation or privative prefixes
These prefixes have the characteristics of:
a) Reversing something is to change to the opposite position. It can be
inside, order, direction, sequence, or
b) Causing privation or separation. Privation means the state of being
deprived of that which is needed; or want of a necessity/necessities. Privation also
means the absence of positive character or existence. These prefixes include un-, de-, and dis-.
3) Pejorative Prefixes
These prefixes have the characteristic of making something or somebody
become less in value or worse in quality. They are mis-, mal-, pseudo-.
4) Prefixes of Degree or Size
They are arch-, super-, out-, sur-, sub-, over-, under-, hyper-, ultra-, mini-.
5) Prefixes of Attitude
6) Locative prefixes
They are super-, sub-, inter-, trans-.
7) Prefixes of time and order
They are fore-, pre-, post-, ex-, re-.
8) Number prefixes
They are utii-/mono-, bi-/di-, tri-, multi-/poll-.
9) Other prefixes
They are auto-, neo-, pan-, proto-, semi-, vice-.
10) Conversion prefixes
The major part of their function, in contrast to that of other prefixes, is to
convert the grammatical class. In their role, they are thus more like suffixes than
like prefixes. They are be-, en-, a-.
The classification above shows that prefix un- and dis- are included as negative prefixes and reversative or privative prefixes.
5. Negative Prefixes in English
There are two different opinions about the origin of prefix un- and dis-. Bernard Groom, M. A. (1965) points out that both prefixes are from Latin
(pp.120-121). W. A. Gatherer (1986) and Nurnberg and Rosenblum (1966) state
that prefix un- comes from Old English, while prefix dis- comes from Latin (p.2-3) (p.78). About the time the prefixes appeared, Bernard Groom (1965, pp.
during the seventeenth century. Prefix dis-, according to Groom, was particularly active in the sixteenth and the seventeenth century.
Many books state that un- and dis- have the same meaning. W. A. Gatherer (1986) says that both prefixes mean 'not' (pp. 2-3). Randolph Quirk et.
al. (1972) points out that both prefixes have the same meaning as they are in the
same classification (pp. 982-984). Both prefixes can mean 'the opposite of’ or 'not'
when their role is as 'Negative prefixes'. Both prefixes can mean 'to reverse the
action', 'deprive of, or 'release from' when their role is as 'Reversative or Privative
prefixes'. Gail Mack (1984) states that both prefixes can mean 'not' or 'the
opposite of (p. 29). James F. Sheperd (1987) also give the same meaning to the
prefixes, i.e. 'not' or 'no' (p. 72).
The Prefixes un- and dis- generally reflect different meaning when attached to a word. Those differences are analyzed by Quirk et.al. (1972) who
argues that prefix un- and dis- can be added to different kinds of words if they belong to different classification of prefixes. In regards of negative prefixes,
B. Theoretical Framework
Words are the main units used for entries in dictionaries. They are
notoriously difficult entries to define, both in universal and in language specific
terms. They cannot freely be inserted by pieces as done into sentences. Words are
units composed of one or more morpheme. When morphemes are combined to
produce words, the meanings of these words are often predictable from the
meanings of their components. Prefix belongs to affixes which it is a bound
morpheme. This research is focused on the students’ mastery of prefix un- and
dis-.
In this study, the students’ mastery of prefixation un- and dis- were
obtained from the test. Szymanek (1989) theories on prefixation are employed to
assess the correct implementation of the items in test (pp. 62-68). Quirk (1972)
concepts of negative prefix are also used in determining the underlying
differences between un- and dis- (pp. 982-984). Previously, prefix un- and dis- are considered to have the same meaning. However Quirk study reveals that they
belong to different classification. In the test, the items asked about the prefixation
un- do not belong to one category, it means that prefix un- can be attach to adjective, noun or verb, while item in the test asking about prefixation dis- are also arranged using the same organization.
The results are then summarized to know the range of their category of
mastery. Next, there is an identification of both correct and incorrect answers
provided by the students participating in the test. Each item in the test is analyzed
19
CHAPTER III
RESEARCH METHODOLOGY
This chapter discusses methodology that is used to find the answers of the
research problem presented in the first chapter. It consists of research method,
research setting, research participants, instruments and data gathering technique,
technique of data analysis and research procedure.
A. Research Method
The research type of this research that was chosen is survey research.
According to Ary et. al, (2002), a survey is a research method, which is
conducted to collect information about the characteristics of a population by
examining a sample of a group (p. 67).This survey was used to find out the data
for the analysis, in this case, the students’ mastery of the prefix un- and dis-. The
method of sampling used in this research was purposive sampling. It relies on the
judgment of the researcher when it comes to selecting the units, i.e. people, cases/
organization, events, pieces of data, which are to be studied
B. Research Setting
The research was conducted in even semester of English Education Study
C. Research Participants
In this study, the sixth and eighth semester students of English Language
Education Study Program in the academic year 2011/2012 were selected to be the
population. It would not be possible to study the total population of all members of
the sixth and eighth semester students. Therefore, the researcher settled on
choosing samples as the representatives of the total population. The number of the
sixth semester test participants were fifty four students whereas the number of the
eighth semester were thirty students.
They were chosen because they were regarded as senior students who
were considered to have learned about English especially Morphology, more
profoundly than students of a lower semester. As senior students, the sixth and
eighth semester students were expected to be able to decide the appropriate prefix
un- or dis-.
D. Research Instrument and Data Collection
1. Research Instrument
The instrument employed in this survey study was a test. It was done to
see how prefix un- and dis- was mastered by the sixth and eighth semester students. The test had 30 question items in the form of completion. The
objective of this test was to measure the students' ability to choose the right
prefix between un- or dis- .
The test consisted of 30 questions items and it was scored with key
semester students’ mastery. Here, each correct number was scored one (1) and
each incorrect answer was scored zero (0). To obtain the final score, the total
score achieved by the students were multiplied by three, and then the result was
deprived by two. Based on the academic regulation of Sanata Dharma University,
which was writtern in Peraturan Akademik Universitas Sanata Dharma (2002:
14), the students’ mastery is perceived if the the total score the students achieved
reach 56% of the total score. Based on the academic regulation in Sanata Dharma
University, the category of scores is as follows:
80 - 100 A (very good)
70 - 79 B (good)
56 - 69 C (sufficient)
50 - 55 D (insufficient)
≤ 49 E (poor)
Brown (2004) stated that the reliability of the test is defined as the extent
to which the test results can be considered consistent or stable (p. 20). In this
research, the researcher used K-R 20 formula to calculate the reliability of the test
because the formula was used to determine the homogeneity which was based on
the proportion of correct and incorrect answer which was stated in Ary et al
(2002) (p.258). The formula would be presented as:
�
= number of items in the test2
� = variance of the total score (squared standard deviation)
= proportion of correct responses on a single item
= proportion of incorrect responses on the same item
In order to know whether the test was reliable or not, the writer used the
table of value of reliability coefficient. The classification is presented in Table
3.1.
Table 3.1: The Classification of Reliability Coefficient (Best, 1981, p. 255)
Coefficient (r) Relationship
0.00 to 0.20 Negligible
0.20 to 0.40 Low
0.40 to 0.60 Moderate
0.60 to 0.80 Substantial
0.80 to 1.00 High to Very High
2. Data Collection
The researcher distributed a test to the students to obtain the data. The test
was conducted in some classes of the sixth and eighth semester students of
English Language Education Study Program of Sanata Dharma University. After
designing the test and assuring that it already met the requirements. The
researcher administered the test to two classes of sixth semester students. The test
is also given to eighth students randomly. Within the population of the whole
semester and thirty students of eighth semester as the sample. The time allotment
for the test was thirty minutes. The test was administered on June until July 2012.
After conducting the test, the researcher classified the sixth and eighth
semester students’ work and other semester students’ work. The researcher
ignored the work of those who were not the sixth and eighth semester students in
the academic year 2011/2012. Briefly, only the sixth and eighth students’ work
was analyzed.
E. Data Analysis Technique
The data obtained from the test given were the raw scores and it was
evaluated based on some sources. From 30 questions in the test, each correct
answer would be scored 1 (one) and each incorrect answer will be scored 0 (zero).
It was necessary to find the mean score in order to know the average score of the
students. The researcher used a formula to calculate the average students’ score.
The formula is as follow:
Mean X = x N
X = the mean
N = the total number of subjects
∑X = the sum of the students scores on the test
F. Research Procedure
1. Reviewing the literature. In this step, the theories underlying this
research were collected. There were three main theories to study: theory of
affixation, prefix and mastery. The researcher also collected the theory of
language testing to construct a valid and reliable test.
2. Designing the research instrument. The instrument used was a test
which is conducted in three different classes with different semester.
3. Asking permission from the lecturer. The permission letter was needed
to conduct the test since the participants were students in academic year 2012.
4. Conducting the test. After getting the lecturer’s permission, the
researcher conducted the test. The test papers were distributed at the beginning of
the class. The instruction was given in 5 minutes and fifteen minutes for the
students to complete the test.
5. Checking the test result. The researcher checked the answer key with
the answers of the students. It was aimed to find our which items were answered
correctly and incorrectly.
6. Analyzing the obtained data. The data for this study, as stated before,
were collected by conducting the test. After collecting the data, it is needed to
analyze them.
7. Writing up the data analysis. After obtaining the data, analyzing, and
then discussing them, the researcher wrote up the data analysis. Therefore, this
also comes to the summary of the findings, the answer of the research problems,
25
CHAPTER IV
RESEARCH RESULTS AND DISCUSSION
This chapter presents the research results and discussion. This part consists
of two parts. The first part is the data presentation of from the administered test
including the presentation of students’ achievement. The second part is the
analysis of the test.
A.Students’ Knowledge in Prefixation of un- and dis-
The study investigates students’ knowledge in prefixation of un- and dis-.
Their mastery can be seen from the correct expressions of un- and dis- in the test
conducted by researcher. The test consisted of thirty four question items. The
objective of this test was that the students were able to recognize which type of
prefixes used in the sentences and decide the correct prefix un- and dis-.
The test was administered in two classes of the sixth and eight semester
students of the English Language Education Study Program Sanata Dharma
University in the academic year 2011/2012 on June until July 2012. The total
number of the students who participated in the test were 84 students. The
6.70% 6.70% 10% Figure 4.1: The Summary of the Sixth Semester Students’ Correct Answers in the Test
Figure 4.1 shows that there are four students achieved the highest range of
scores. Furthermore, there is no student who achieved the lowest range of scores.
Most of the students achieved the range of scores 90 – 94, the total number of
students was nineteen students. The percentage of the students who achieved the
highest score is 35%. In the second order, there were also nineteen students who
achieved the range of scores 85 – 89. There are no students who got the score low
than 70.
Figure 4.2: The Summary of the Eighth Semester Students’ Correct Answers in the Test
From figure 4.2, it can be seen that eleven students achieved 90 – 94 with the
percentage 37 %. The highest range of score was achieved by four students. On
the other hand, there was the lowest range of scores which was 65 – 69 and it was
achieved by two students of the eighth semester. The percentage is 6.7 %
To classify students’ mastery on prefixation of un- and dis-, two tables of
category of mastery were presented. They contain the minimum standard of
mastery. It means that someone masters the topic if he obtains the score the
minimum standard of the category. Based on the academic regulation in Sanata
Dharma University, the category of scores is as follows.
80 - 100 A (very good)
70 - 79 B (good)
56 - 69 C (sufficient)
50 - 55 D (insufficient)
≤ 49 E (poor)
The category of mastery above was then converted into two tables. The first table
is intended to show the sixth semester students’ category of mastery on the
prefixation of un- and dis-. The second table reveals the eighth semester students’
Table 4.1 The Sixth Semester Students’ Score in Relation to the Category of Mastery
Score Category of Mastery Number of Participants Achieving the Category
Therefore, the test result suggests that most of the students have had a good ability
to apply prefixation of un- and dis- to certain words.
Table 4.2 The Eighth Semester Students’ Score in Relation to the Category of Mastery
Table 4.2 reveals the eighth semester students’ category of mastery. Of 30
students participating in the test, 23 students achieve the scores between 80-100,
which can be categorized as Very Good. It means 77% of the total number of the
eighth semester students belongs to the category of Very Good. Five students
were known to have the scores that belong to the category of Good. It comprises
17% of the total population of the eighth semester students. Meanwhile, the scores
of 2 students belong to the category of sufficient. They cover 6% of the total
number of the eighth semester students.
Following the categorization of mastery, the overall level of students’
mastery needs to be determined. There is a calculation of the average score of the
test (mean) of the sixth semester students, which is derived from the students’
total score divided by the total number of the students. The result is as follows:
Mean = ( students' total score )
( the total number of the students) = 4746
54 = 87.89
From the calculation of the average score of the test done by the sixth semester
students, it is known that the value of the mean achieved 87.89.
The average level of the eighth semester students’ mastery also needs to be
determined. It is achieved by the same calculation of the average score of the test
(mean) of the sixth semester students, which is obtained from the students’ total
score divided by the total number of the students. The result is as follows:
Mean = ( students' total score )
( the total number of the students) = 2600
0 The mean derived from the calculation of the average score of the test given to the
eighth semester students achieved 87.
B. The Analysis of the Test Item
The data are presented through four figures. Figure 1 illustrates the
incorrect prefixation of dis- expressed by the sixth semester students. Figure 2
reveals sixth semester students’ incorrect prefixation of un-. Figure 3 shows the
total of the eighth semester students who applied the use of prefix dis- incorrectly.
Figure 4 describes the incorrect use of the prefix un- expressed by the eighth
semester students who became the participants of this study. Each figure along
with the data presentation is elaborated in the following paragraphs.
Figure 4.3 The Number of the Sixth Semester Students Who Answer Dis- Questions
Incorrectly
Figure 4.3 shows the number of students who answer dis- questions incorrectly.
the sixth semester of English Education Study Program, sixteen of which were
designed to assess students’ mastery of prefixation of dis-. The interpretation of
the data reveals that questions 1, 7, 9, 30 are known to have the lowest incorrect
answer. They assess students’ mastery of the use of prefix dis- when attached to
the words ‘advantage’, ‘appear’, ‘like’, and ‘connect,’ respectively. One out of
fifty four students answered incorrectly questions 1, 7, 9, and 30. The result
indicates that there is only 1.8% incorrect use of prefix dis- occurs in the
questionnaire. Therefore, it can be concluded that the prefixation of dis- attached
to the words ‘advantage’, ‘appear’, ‘like’, and ‘connect,’ is already mastered by
98.2% of the total sixth semester students.
Questions 2 and 6 assess students’ mastery of the use of prefix dis- when it
was attached to the words ‘honesty’ and ‘able’ respectively. Nine out of fifty four
students answered questions 2 and 6 incorrectly, thus the percentage of students
who answered questions 2 and 6 incorrectly achieve 16%. Twenty seven students
answered question 3 incorrectly, which deals with the use of prefix dis- when it
was attached to the word ‘respect’. It means 50% of the total numbers of the sixth
semester students still could not apply the incorrect use of prefix dis- when it was
attached to the word ‘respect’.
Questions 5 and 23 deal with the use of prefix dis- attached to the words
‘organize’ and ‘close,’ respectively. Twenty five out of fifty four students
answered questions 5 and 23 incorrectly, which leads to the percentage of
students’ incorrect answers to reach 46% of the total number of the sixth semester
when attached to the word ‘courage’. It was answered incorrectly by fifteen out of
fifty four students, which means 27% of the total number of the sixth semester
students still apply incorrect use of prefix dis- when attached to the word
‘courage’.
Question 15 assesses students’ mastery of the use of prefix dis- when
attached to the word ‘miss.’ Two out of fifty four students answered question 15
incorrectly, which leads to the percentage of 3.7% of sixth semester students who
still apply incorrect use of prefix dis- attached to the word ‘miss.’ Question 16
deals with the use of prefix dis- when attached to the word ‘content,’ in which
thirty three out of fifty four students answered incorrectly. It means there is 61%
of the total number of sixth semester students’ incorrect answers on the use of
prefix dis- attached to the word ‘content.’
Question 24 assesses students’ mastery of the use of prefix dis- when
attached to the word ‘grace.’ Five out of fifty four students were known to answer
Question 24 incorrectly. It leads to the percentage of 9.2% of the total number of
sixth semester students who still apply incorrect use of prefix dis- attached to the
word ‘grace.’ Question 29 deals with prefixation of dis- when applied to the word
‘pleasure.’ From the data, thirty six out of fifty four students gave incorrect
answers to question 29. It indicates that 66% of the total number of the sixth
semester students in this study still gave incorrect prefixation of dis- to the word
0
Figure 4.4 The Number of the Sixth Semester Students Who Answer Un- Questions
Incorrectly
Figure 4.4 reveals incorrect prefixation of un- given by the sixth semester students
in the questionnaire. There were fourteen questions which deal with the use of
prefix un-. The data shows that questions 3, 6, 19, 21, and 22 are known to have
the lowest score in terms of incorrect answers. Those questions were intended to
assess students’ mastery of the use of prefix un- when attached to the words
‘aware’, ‘able’, ‘predictability’, ‘usually’, and ‘truth’, respectively. They were
answered incorrectly by one out of fifty four sixth semester students. Thus, the
percentage of students’ incorrect prefixation of un- reaches only 1% of the total
number of students’ answers.
Figure 4.4 also shows the interpretation of the data concerning questions 8,
14 and 18. Question 14 contains two items. The first item in question 14 assesses
students’ mastery of the use of prefix un- attached to the word ‘even.’ Question 8
deals with prefixation of un- attached to the word ‘interested.’ Students’ answer to
answered incorrectly by three out of fifty four students. The percentage score
derived from this data on questions 8 and 14 achieves 5.5% of the total number of
the sixth semester students who answered the questions incorrectly. The second
item in question 14 contains prefixation of un- attached to the word ‘safe,’ while
question 18 deals with prefixation of un- attached to the word ‘intentionally.’ Both
questions were answered incorrectly by two out of fifty four students. It indicates
that 3.7% of the total number of the sixth semester students still apply incorrect
use of prefix un- when attached to the words ‘safe’ and ‘intentionally.’
Question 10 assess students’ mastery of the use of prefix un- when attached to
the word ‘like.’ It can be derived from the data that four of fifty four students
answered question 10 incorrectly. It indicates 7.4% of the total number of the
sixth semester students still provides incorrect prefixation of un- attached to the
word ‘like.’ Question 11 deals with prefixation of un- attached to the word
‘bearable.’ Six out of fifty four students were known to answered question 11
incorrectly. It leads to 11% of the total number of students’ incorrect answers.
Question 20 aims to assess students’ mastery of prefixation of un- when attached
to the word ‘explored.’ Five out of fifty four students were known to give
incorrect answers to question 20. The percentage which comes from the data
reaches 9.2% of the total number of students’ answers.
In total, there are thirty questions in the questionnaire, sixteen of which are
to investigate students’ mastery of prefixation of dis-, while eighteen are aimed at
learning students’ mastery of the use of prefix un-. From the sixteen items which
students, the percentage of the incorrect answers is 21.2%. Higher score of
incorrect answers is found in prefixation of un-. The result shows that from
eighteen items given to assess the sixth semester students’ mastery of the use of
prefix un-, 5.5% of the total number of the sixth semester students participating in
the test answered incorrectly.
Figure 4.5 The Number of Eighth Semester Students Who Answer Dis- Questions Incorrectly
Figure 4.5 illustrates the number of students who answer dis- questions
incorrectly. There were sixteen questions designed to assess students’ mastery of
prefixation of dis-. Figure 3 deals with the answers given by the eighth semester
students, comprising thirty people. It is known that question 1 provides the lowest
incorrect answer. This question assesses students’ mastery of the use of prefix dis-
when attached to the word ‘advantage’. One out of thirty students answered
incorrectly. The result indicates that there is only 3% students’ incorrect use of
prefix dis- attached to the word ‘advantage’. The second lowest incorrect answer
is shown in question 24. This question deals with prefixation of dis- attached to 0
5 10 15 20 25
the word ‘grace,’ which is answered incorrectly by two out of thirty students. The
percentage achieves 6% of the total number of students who answered question 24
incorrectly.
From the data, questions 7 and 15 are known to have the third lowest
incorrect answers. Question 7 assesses students’ mastery of the use of prefix dis-
when it was attached to the word ‘appear,’ while question 15 is intended to
investigate prefixation of dis- attached to the word ‘miss.’ Three out of thirty
students are known to give incorrect answers to both questions 7 and 15. Thus, it
yields the percentage of 10% of the total number of the eighth semester students
who still gave incorrect prefixation of dis- attached to the word ‘appear’ and
‘miss.’
Question 6 is designed to assess students’ mastery of the use of prefix dis-
when attached to the word ‘abled.’ Five out of thirty students gave incorrect
answers to question 6. It means 16% of the total number of the eighth semester
students reveal incorrect prefixation of dis- attached to the word ‘abled.’
Questions 13 and 23 deal with prefixation of dis- attached to the words ‘couraged’
and ‘close’, respectively. Those two questions reveal identical result, in which
eleven out of thirty students gave incorrect answers. The percentage of the data
derived from question 13 and 23 achieve 36% of the total number of students’
answers.
Question 5 attempts to assess students’ mastery of the use of prefix dis-
when attached to the word ‘organized’, while question 16 investigates prefixation
0
leads to the percentage of 43% of the total number of students’ answers. Further,
there were fourteen out of thirty students known to give incorrect prefixation of
answer. Twenty out of thirty students answered the question incorrectly.
Converted to percentage, it reaches 66% of the total number of the eighth
semester students participating in the test.
Figure 4.6 shows the data concerning the eighth semester students’ incorrect
answers to the use of prefix un-. The items in the questionnaire assessing students’
mastery of prefixation of un- consist of eighteen items. The lowest score of
incorrect answers is to be found in questions 8, 17, and 18. They assess students’
mastery of the use of prefix un- attached to the words ‘interested’, ‘healthy’, and
‘intentionally’. One out of thirty students provided incorrect answer for each
question. It makes 3% of the total number of the eighth semester students’
incorrect answers.
Questions 19, 20, 21, and 28 attempt to test students’ mastery of
prefixation of un- attached to the words ‘predictability’, ‘known’, ‘explored’,
‘usually’, and ‘pleasant’. Two out of thirty students were known to give incorrect
answers to questions 19, 20, 21, and 28, which mean the percentage of the total
number of the eighth semester students’ incorrect prefixation of un- reaches 6%.
A point worth mentioning here concerning question 20 is that there are two items
‘known’ and ‘explored’ given to students, where there was no incorrect answer to
the prefixation of un- attached to the word ‘known’.
Question 22 deals with prefixation of un- attached to the word ‘truth’. It is
known that there were three out of thirty students answered incorrectly. It means
10% of the total number of the eighth semester students participating in the test
still provided incorrect use of prefix of un- attached to the word ‘truth’. Incorrect
answers occurred more frequently in question 10. This question, which assesses
incorrectly by four out of thirty students. It leads to the percentage of 13% of the
total number of the eighth semester students who participated in the test.
Question 14 is known to have the highest score of incorrect answers. It
involves prefixation of un- attached to the word ‘even’ and ‘safe’. Of the total
number of the eighth semester students participating in the test, eight of thirty
students answered incorrectly to the question involving prefixation of un- attached
to the word ‘even’. The second item of question 14 which assess students’
mastery of the use of prefix un- attached to the word ‘safe’ results in no mistake,
thus the data presented here refer to prefixation of un- attached to the word ‘safe’.
The percentage which comes from the data achieves 26% of the total number of
eighth semester students’ incorrect use of prefix un-.
In total, there are thirty questions in the questionnaire, sixteen of which
are to investigate students’ mastery of prefixation of dis-, while eighteen are
aimed to learn students’ mastery of the use of prefix un-. From the sixteen items
which assess students’ mastery of the use of prefix dis- given to eighth semester
students, the percentage of the incorrect answers is 22%. Higher score of incorrect
answers is found in prefixation of un-. The result shows that from eighteen items
given to assess the eighth semester students’ mastery of the use of prefix un-,
4.8% of the total number of the eighth semester students participating in the test
answered incorrectly.
The conclusion derived from the data presentation reflects that the mastery
of prefixation of dis- and un- among the sixth semester students of the English
from the Figure 4.1 showing forty seven out of fifty four sixth semester students
participating in the test obtain the range of scores 80 – 100. It comprises 86.7% of
the total number of sixth semester students, which means the majority of the
students have already mastered the prefixation of dis- and un-. Deeper analysis on
the comparison between the correct use of the prefix dis- and un- reveals that sixth
semester students are likely to apply correct prefixation to un- more frequently
than prefixation to dis-. It shows that there are only 5.5% incorrect answers
provided by the sixth semester students, while the incorrect answers concerning
prefixation of dis- reach 21% of the total items given in the test. Thus, the sixth
semester students have mastered prefixation un- and dis-with the proficiency on
using correct prefixation un- is arguably higher than prefixation dis-.
Further, the mastery of prefixation of un- and dis- among the eighth
semester students of English Language Education Study Program belongs to the
category of Good. Figure 4.1 shows the evidence of the eighth semester students’
mastery of prefixation of un- and dis-, with twenty three out of thirty students
achieve the range of scores 80-100. The percentage number from that data reveals
76% of the total number of the eighth semester students participating in the test
already achieved good scores. It means they have already mastered prefixation of
un- and dis-. Of the answers related to the use of two prefixes un- and dis-, there is
4,8% incorrect answers on prefixation un- provided by the students in the test.
Prefixation of dis- shows higher incorrect answers, reaching 22% of the total
question given in the test. Comparison drawn from the two prefixes un- and dis-
prefixation of dis-. This finding leads to the conclusion that the eighth semester
students’ mastery on prefixation of un- and dis- is already high. However, their
