GRAMMATICAL ERRORS COMMITTED BY ESL UPPER SECONDARY SCHOOL

LEARNERS IN WRITING

ANIS ZULAIKHA BT. BASRAH

UNIVERSITI PENDIDIKAN SULTAN IDRIS

2013
GRAMMATICAL ERRORS COMMITTED BY ESL UPPER SECONDARY SCHOOL
LEARNERS IN WRITING

ANIS ZULAIKHA BT. BASRAH

A PROJECT PAPER SUBMITTED IN PARTIAL FULFILMENT

OF THE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE DEGREE OF

BACHELOR OF EDUCATION

(TEACHING OF ENGLISH AS A SECOND LANGUAGE)

FACULTY OF LANGUAGES AND COMMUNICATION

UNIVERSITI PENDIDIKAN SULTAN IDRIS

 2013

Abstract

This project identified the grammatical errors committed by second language

learners of English (ESL). It was conducted on 15 Form Four students of a boarding

school in Kuantan. For their grammatical errors to be identified, samples of their written

work under the genre of narrative writing were collected. Subsequently, the errors were

recorded and classified based on types and forms of errors such as the wrong or

inappropriate uses of Nouns, Verbs, Adjectives (Parts of Speech) and Tenses. In addition,

this study provides useful information as well as the analysis and discussion on various

errors which are commonly found in narrative writing. The results of this small scale

study may be useful for extended research in the field of Error Analysis especially on

ESL learners in boarding schools.

 Abstrak

Projek ini mengenalpasti kesilapan tatabahasa yang dilakukan oleh pelajar yang

mempelajari Bahasa Inggeris sebagai bahasa kedua. Kajian ini telah dijalankan ke atas 15

pelajar Tingkatan Empat di sebuah Sekolah Berasrama Penuh yang terletak di Kuantan.

Bagi mengenal pasti kesilapan tatabahasa pelajar, contoh-contoh kerja bertulis mereka di

bawah genre penulisan naratif telah dikumpul. Selepas itu, kesilapan tatabahasa yang

dikenal pasti telah direkod dan diklasifikasikan berdasarkan jenis dan bentuk kesilapan

seperti kesalahan atau ketidak sesuaian penggunaan kata nama, kata kerja, kata sifat

(bahagian pertuturan) dan tenses. Di samping itu, kajian ini menyediakan maklumat

berguna serta analisis dan perbincangan mengenai pelbagai kesilapan lazim yang didapati

dalam penulisan naratif. Keputusan kajian berskala kecil ini diharap dapat memberi

manfaat untuk penyelidikan lanjutan dalam bidang Analisis Ralat terutama ke atas pelajar

di Sekolah-sekolah Berasrama Penuh.

 Table of Contents

Content Page

LIST OF TABLES v
LIST OF FIGURES vi
LIST OF EXCERPTS vii

CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION
1.0 Introduction 1
1.1 Background of the Study 1
1.2 Objectives of the Study 2
1.3 Problem Statement 2
1.4 Research Questions 2
1.5 Significance of the Study 3
1.6 Definition of Key Terms 4

CHAPTER 2: LITERATURE REVIEW

2.0 Introduction 6
2.1 Learning Grammar of the Second Language 6
2.2 Theoretical Background of The Study
2.2.1 Distinguishing Errors and Mistakes by Corder 7
(1978), Brown (2007) and Selinker (1992)
2.2.2 Error Analysis by Brown (1980)
9
2.2.3 Contrastive Analysis Hypotheses by Lado (1957)
9
2.3 Common Grammatical Errors by ESL Learners Based on 10
 Previous Studies
2.4 Providing Feedbacks on Grammatical Errors 16
2.5 Students Views on Teachers Feedback 17

Content Page

CHAPTER 3: METHODOLOGY
3.0 Introduction 19
3.1 Research Design 19
3.2 Sample and Sampling Procedures 19
3.3 Research Instruments 20
3.4 Data Collection Procedures 21
3.5 Data Analysis Procedures 21
3.6 Limitations 22

CHAPTER 4: DATA ANALYSIS

4.0 Introduction 23
4.1 Grammatical Errors Committed by ESL Learners in Writing 23
4.1.1 Analysis of Grammatical Errors Committed by 25
ESL Learners in Writing
4.1.2 Errors Committed in the Use of Tenses by ESL
31
Learners in Writing

CHAPTER 5: CONCLUSIONS, DISCUSSIONS AND

RECOMMENDATIONS
5.0 Introduction 35
5.1 Conclusions and Discussions
5.1.1 Grammatical Errors Committed by ESL Learners in 35
Writing
5.1.2 Errors Committed in the Use of Tenses by ESL
37
learners in Writing
5.2 Recommendations 42

REFERENCES

Content Page
APPENDICES
Appendix A viii
Appendix B ix
Appendix C x
Appendix D xi
Appendix E xii
Appendix F xiii
Appendix G xiv
List of Tables Page

Table 4.1: Types of Grammatical Errors 23

Table 4.1.2: Grammatical Errors in the Uses of Tenses 31
List of Figures Page

Figure 2.3(a): Percentage of Students Errors by Rohayu (2001:65) 13

Figure 3.3(a): Narrative Writing Question 20
Figure 4.1.2: Average Errors Committed by Each Student 31

List of Excerpts Page

 Excerpt 4.1.1(a): Errors in the Inappropriate Use of Present Tense 26
Excerpt 4.1.1(b): Errors in the Inappropriate Use of Tenses 26
Excerpt 4.1.1(c): Errors in the Use of Verbs 27
Excerpt 4.1.1(d): Errors in the Use of Nouns 30
Excerpt 4.1.2(a): Errors in the Inappropriate Use of Present Tense 32
Excerpt 4.1.2(b): Errors in the Inappropriate Use of Past Tense 33
Excerpt 4.1.2(c): Errors in the Application of Tenses 33

CHAPTER 1

INTRODUCTION

1.0 Introduction
 This chapter provides an overview of the study including the background,

objectives, statement of the problem, research questions and significance of the study.

Several definitions of key terms are also explained in this chapter.

1.1 Background of the Study

Grammar is regarded as the most fundamental element of language learning for

second language learners. In Malaysia, possessing knowledge of grammar is important

for learners in all schools for the fact that English is a subject taught in the curriculum.

Previous studies have proposed that in written form especially, English as a Second

Language (ESL) learners committed common grammatical errors that showed their

incompetency in some grammar aspects. Specifically, this study highlighted the common

errors in writing by ESL learners of a boarding school where the learners were expected

to have higher English competency than daily schools students. As achieving

competency in second language is a progressive process, common grammatical errors are

continuously dealt by both learners and teachers using various techniques to improve

learnerscompetencies especially in producing the written form of the language. Besides

focusing on the types of errors, this study highlighted the various forms of common

grammatical errors in the use of tenses committed by ESL learners in narrative writing.

1.2 Objectives of the Study

This study is conducted based on the following objectives:

1. To identify the grammatical errors committed by ESL learners in writing

 2. To investigate the various forms of errors in the use of Tenses committed by ESL

learners in writing

1.3 Problem Statement

Based on the educational context in Malaysia, there is a need for ESL learners to

be equipped with good grammar knowledge since the educational system relies very

much on written examination as compared to other language skills. However, learners in

secondary schools, especially, despite having learnt English language since their primary

schools, tend to commit common grammatical errors in writing. Those errors are thus

believed to be caused by several factors including first language interference, lack of

grammar knowledge and ignorance of learners of the grammar rules. As for narrative

writing, students are supposed to be aware of the appropriate tenses that they should use.

Despite all that, there are still many students who are not concerned about the choice of

tenses which suit the nature of narrative essay.

1.4 Research Questions

This study is conducted in reference to these two research questions:

1. What are the grammatical errors committed by ESL learners in writing?

2. What are the errors in the use of Tenses committed by ESL learners in writing?

1.5 Significance of the Study

This study is an attempt to provide an overview of most common grammatical

errors committed by ESL learners in written form. ESL learners are taught grammar

much more than any other language aspects, especially in formal classroom context.
However, there is the need for learners to be informed on the common errors they

commit. In addition, it is worthwhile for teachers to know the causes of the same errors

committed by students so that ways to minimize them could be figured out. Although this

study is not focused on the need to give feedback on the errors, the researcher would still

give the feedback for the sake of learning procedure in class (task is given, students

complete the task, then the marked task is returned to each student)

Thus, this study, even though in a small scale is hoped to be useful for teachers to

find out the grammatical errors which are commonly committed by the students so that

possible ways for learners to improve their grammar as well as language competency

based on their writing might be later considered. In addition, the learners performance in

English examination paper is expected to be improved too. As for the school, it has

always been a healthy competition between the boarding schools that they compete to be

in good positions in the schools ranking. This implies that this study might also

contribute to finding alternatives and remedial implementations in increasing students

language performance in the written examination and place the school in a good ranking

especially for English subject.

For syllabus and curriculum designers, this study might be a useful additional

reference since it is hoped to be able to extract the grammatical aspects which need to be

emphasised on the students learning in school. The same goes to educational book

publishers who might want to revise their publications by publishing grammar books on

certain grammatical aspects according to the students needs. This is due to the finding

which reveals that different students encounter different difficulties and problems in

various grammatical aspects. Workbooks or references published with standardized

quality could also be the additional materials for students to work out on their respective

aspects of grammar problems.

1.6 Definition of Key Terms

There are some key terms used frequently in this study that it would be useful to

provide their definitions in this introduction chapter. The definitions are mostly the

operational definitions; the ones which are based on the context of this study. Operational

definition is also usually defined as functional definition.

Boarding schools Schools which are under a specialized programme of the Ministry of

Education; Sekolah Berasrama Penuh (SBP) in which the students are all selected from

those who excel in UPSR (for Form 1 intake) and PMR (for Form 4 intake).

CAH Contrastive Analysis Hypotheses; hypotheses by Lado (1957) about second or

foreign language learning where it is assumed that the student who comes in contact with

a foreign language will find some features of it quite easy and others extremely difficult.

Those elements that are similar to his native language will be simple for him, and those

elements that are different will be difficult.

Error In this research, it refers specifically to the misuse of grammatical concepts in

students writing.

Error analysis The study of errors which includes identifying and classifying the errors

into categories.
ESL English as a Second Language; mostly learnt or used language after the national

language. In Malaysia, English is regarded as a second language after the national or

official language, Bahasa Melayu.

Grammar The rules in a language for changing the form of words and joining them

into sentences (Oxford Advanced Learners Dictionary, 7th ed., 2008).

Intralingual transfer - A situation when language learners commit errors that Ellis

(1997) states, some errors seem to be universal

- A situation reflecting learners attempts to make the task of learning and using the target

language simpler; as cited in Erdogan (2005) of Mersin University Journal of the Faculty

of Education.

L1- Refers to ones native or first language; mothertongue

L2- Refers to a second or a foreign language; the language that one is learning in addition

to the first language

Proofreading Proofreading means examining your text carefully to find and correct

typographical errors and mistakes in grammar, style, and spelling. (The Writers

Handbook: How to Proofread. University of Wisconsin-Madison, 2012).

CHAPTER 2

LITERATURE REVIEW
2.0 Introduction

In this chapter, the review of literature on theoretical and conceptual background

are presented which includes the learning of grammar, distinguishing errors and mistakes,

theoretical background of the study, giving feedbacks on grammatical errors as well as

findings of previous studies on the most common grammatical errors committed by ESL

learners in writing.

2.1 Learning Grammar of the Second Language

For ESL learners starting to learn a new language, it is essential part that they

learn the basic grammar rules of the target language first. While it is easier to speak a

language than to write and understand it (Jossiejk, 2007), learners ability to write

grammatically correct sentences is put into much concern especially in an education

system which relies on written examination to measure the learners academic

performance. According to Harmer (2007), writing provides learners with more thinking

time than the one they experience from spontaneous conversation. Due to that, writing

offers more opportunity for learners to undergo the stage of language processing in which

they will be thinking about the language the grammar. As compared to speaking, the

ability to write grammatical sentences is not natural since grammar and writing demand a

formal teacher and a structured taught education. Besides that, learning grammar implies

that language learning is directed to focus on form and that is the issue argued by

Krashen (1985) in Pazever and Wang (2009).

However, Pazaver and Wang in their writing have provided proof that studies

conducted in foreign language context do indicate that students find grammar instruction
with error correction as helpful in language learning. The proof was extracted from

respondents who were ESL learners from seven different Asian countries including

China, India and Sri Lanka. They responded to the interview question by stating that

through writing, they could apply their grammar skills and that when they made mistakes,

corrections could be made easily. On the importance of grammar for second language

learners, Foppoli (2012) insists that it is indeed really important; quoting that grammar is

the foundation of a language. Even lay people who are not in the field of linguistics

would have agreed that grammar encompasses mostly on the structures of sentences

which requires all sort of rules.

2.2 Theoretical Background of The Study

2.2.1 Distinguishing Errors and Mistakes by Corder (1978), Brown (2007)

and Selinker (1992)

While Foppoli (2012) has also discussed on how the knowledge of

grammar should be taught, he suggests that there is no need to be afraid of using

drilling since it could be very useful especially for new concepts to be fixed in

their brains. The failure of the grammar rules to be fossilized in the brains could

be one of the reasons of the learners committing the common grammatical errors.

Meanwhile, Corder (1978) as cited in Ho (2003:2) has published an article

distinguishing mistakes with errors where the former refers to unsystematic

errors of learners as opposed to the systematic errors of learners from which we

are able to reconstruct their knowledge of the language to date. Whatever it is,
the underlying assumption implies that learners errors made in grammar are

systematic and classifiable.

On the other hand, Brown (2007) has provided a clearer view upon

distinguishing errors and mistakes. Since the two terms are interchangeably used

in daily conversation, they are actually quite different from each other. Brown

claims that every once in a while, all native speakers make mistakes or what he

coins as performance lapse. He has also proposed that the key to differentiate

between mistakes and errors is the fact that mistakes can be self-corrected when

addressed.

"A mistake refers to a performance error that is

either a random guess or a "slip", in that it is a
failure to utilize a known system correctly. An
error...reflects the competence of the learner. While
mistakes can be self-corrected, an error cannot be
self-corrected."
Brown (2007:257)

Another scholar, Selinker (1992) as cited in Ho (2003) has insisted the

vitality of error to learners in his claim that errors committed can be regarded 'a

device the learner uses in order to learn'. The claim is also supported by Carter

(1997) as cited in Ho (2003:2); suggesting that knowing more about how

grammar works is to understand more about how grammar is used and misused.

In other words, the knowledge of grammar is not only mastered by knowing how

to apply the rules by heart but also it demands the learners to be aware of the

wrong application of the rules as well.

2.2.2 Error Analysis by Brown (1980)

 According to Brown (1980), Error Analysis (EA) develops as the result of

many linguists having come to realize the fact that errors are important in the

process of language learning. Putting the emphasis on language learning, he also

states that language learning is a procees that involves making mistakes; just like

any other human learning. Supporting the emphasis, he claims that the process of

learning of L2 is to be understood by carefully analysing the errors committedby

learners who are in the process of constructing a new language system. As a

result, the field of EA has also emerged to provide further explanation towards the

areas that have been covered by Contrastive Analysis (Brown, 1980).

2.2.3 Contrastive Analysis Hypotheses by Lado (1957)

Contrastive Analysis Hypotheses (CAH) as proposed by Lado (1957)

encompasses two versions. The first one is the strong version which predicts that

L2 learners will face difficulties in language aspects which differ from their L1

such as in vocabulary and syntax or structures; while those elements which are

similar to their L1 will not bring any problems to the learners in learning L2. This

is as claimed by Lado (1957) in the following notion:

Individuals tend to transfer the forms and meanings, and

the distribution of forms and meanings of their native
language and culture to the foreign language and culture -
both productively when attempting to speak the language
and to act in the culture, and receptively when attempting
to grasp and understand the language and the culture as
practised by natives[It assumes] that the student who
comes in contact with a foreign language will find some
features of it quite easy and others extremely difficult.
Those elements that are similar to his native language will
be simple for him, and those elements that are different will
be difficult,
 Lado (1957:2)

The word transfer can be compared to interference which refers to the

process of using elements of L1 (phonemes, vocabulary, structures, etc.) in the

second language system. For this occasion, those two languages, L1 and L2 with

similar elements will contribute to positive transfer. In contrast, negative transfer

will occur when there are different elements of the languages. The weak version

suggests that pointing the errors and explaining them based on the similarities and

differences between L1 and L2 would be better than the strong version. Thus, it is

more flexible in considering that learners errors are not resulting from L1

interference per se. In other words, the weak version begins with analysing

learners errors and explaining them by highlighting the similarities and

differences between the two languages of L1 and L2.

2.3 Common Grammatical Errors by ESL Learners Based on Previous Studies

As other studies have proven, common grammatical errors committed by ESL

learners would include the uses of Pronouns, apostrophe, lack of Subject-Verb

Agreement, count and non count Nouns, Prepositions, incorrect or missing Articles, and

Irregular Verb error. While there are many of them, the question on why do ESL learners

commit such common errors has also been pondered. As findings have suggested that one

of the causes could be the interference from learners first or native languages, Brown

supports this suggestion by claiming that it is natural for learners to at first apply the rules

of their native language to the target language. Furthermore, learners error is regarded as

the result of the intralingual transfer; indicating the transition of learners to move out
from the beginning stages of learning (Brown, 2007). As another significant cause of

errors, Brown put the responsibility on the teachers for the misleading explanation, the

ineffectiveness of materials as well as the drilling patterns which are based on

memorization rather that contextualizing the grammar concepts.

Brown concludes his claim pertaining to the issue of error correction by

addressing the inevitability of learners error as a part of learning process. Despite the

negative connotations of the word error itself, he insists that it should not be perceived

as such. Instead, learners error should be regarded as the tool of critical pedagogical

feedback for ESL teachers to improve and reflect on their own deficiencies in knowledge,

lesson plans and teaching methods (Brown, 2007). Browns claim, in other words

actually suggests that the term students error or learners error is not merely referring

to learners behavior of committing the errors but also as the hint for teachers to reflect on

their own teaching.

Looking into the Malaysian context, there have been many studies conducted on

common grammatical errors in writing of ESL learners. Zanariah (2002) has presented

almost the same findings on the errors where she studied Form Two students

compositions in a rural secondary school in Kuala Pilah. In her study, 40 students were

chosen to write a composition each on the same given title. Among the reported errors

were Subject-Verb Agreement, use of Pronouns, wrong or inappropriate choice of word,

and problems in Tenses which covered 50.6 percent of the total errors. From that

percentage, 86 percent of errors are those committed when the Simple Present Tense was

used instead of the Simple Past Tense as cited in the following examples.
 1. Last year, my family goed to Langkawi. (went)
2. Many people come to my birthday party last week. (came)
Zanariah (2002:37)

Referring to the examples, it is interpreted that these were the result of

interference of L1 because in English, verbs are inflected according to time (tenses) such

as thore carried out in the past. In Bahasa Melayu, verbs remain unchanged in term of

form despite the change of time. Also, the inflected morpheme of ed does not exist in

Bahasa Melayu to refer to Past Tense. Based on her finding, there were conclusively

several factors contributing to the errors that were identified including the interference of

students native language, lack of vocabulary and overgeneralization of some

grammatical rules. The interpretations on the factors contributing to the errors were

based on the information gathered from the questionnaires given to the students.

Another study was conducted pertaining to analysis of errors in the use of Past

Tense. In this study, 30 students from a Convent Secondary School in Ipoh, Perak were

chosen as subjects. Their performance were assessed through writing composition and

filling in the blanks task. As the study focused on errors in the use of Past Tense, the

finding revealed that the errors committed by students were divided into four types of

Past Tense namely Simple Past, Past Progressive, Past Perfect and Past Progressive. The

finding also included a pyramid illustrating the distribution of errors as shown in the next

figure.
 2.
3.
4.
SempPafilogrvtcs
Figure 2.3(a): Percentage of Students Errors by Rohayu (2001:65)

The figure shows the finding on the percentage of students errors according to

four categories pf Past Tense. The highest level of the pyramid shows the highest

percentage of errors committed which means the type of Past Tense that students had the

most difficulties in understanding and applying the rule. Also included in the finding are

the possible causes of errors explained by Rohayu (2001). The possible causes were

based on those classified by Richard (1973) who divided them into four:

1. Overgeneralisation
Incomplete application of rules
False concept hypothesized
Ignorance of rules restriction

Another review by Sunardi (2002) in his study on Error Analysis in the Teaching

of English presents Richards (1973) brief explanation on those classified causes. The

following are the explanation presented by Sunardi (2002):

1) Overgeneralization

Overgeneralization generally involved the creation of one deviant

structure in place of two regular structures, for examples, He can sings,

We are hope, it is occurs.

2) Incomplete Application of rules

An example of incomplete application of rules could be seen in the

question forms. Very often they were used, not to find out something, as

they should, but as a means of eliciting questions through a transform

exercise. The use of question might also be unrelated to the skills it was

meant to establish.

Teachers questions Students responses

Ask her how long it takes How long it take?

How much does it cost? It cost five dollar
What does he have to do? He have to do write the
address
 3) False concepts hypothesized

False concepts hypothesized were something due to poor gradation of

teaching items. The form was for example, might be interpreted as

the marker of the past tense, as in one day it was happened.

4) Ignorance of rule restriction

Closely related to the generalization of deviant structures was the

failure to observe the restriction of existing structures, that is, the

application of rules to context where they did not apply. They man who

I saw him violated the limitation on subjects in a structure

with who. This was again a type of generalization of transfer, since the

learners were making use of previously acquired rule in a new

situation.

Sunardi (2002:47-48)

Besides those studies, Zahiah (2003) has also conducted a study on similar

field. Based on her work on a study of the error analysis (Past Tense) in English

written composition of Form Four students at a Secondary School in Tumpat,

Kelantan, the finding discovered that the most common errors were those classified

under the use of Simple Past Tense. The subjects were 30 Malay students whose

composition and fill in the blank tasks were assessed to identify the errors. The main

objective stated was to find out whether the uses of fill-in-the blanks exercises can be

an effective tool in reducing Past Tense errors in writing compositions for Form Four
students. Pre test and post test were conducted with the whole three phases were

involved.

The first phase was the pre test where students were asked to write a narrative

essay entitled The most frightening dream in my life. The purpose was to gauge

students knowledge and application on the Simple Past Tense. In phase two, students

were divided into experimental and control groups based on the results obtained in the

previous phase. Then, each student in the experimental group had to answer four sets

of fill-in-the blanks exercises as treatments. In phase three, a post test was conducted

on both groups where each student was required to write the same composition like

the one written in the first phase. This was to determine whether the 15 students in the

experimental group had benefited from the treatments given in the second phase. The

results revealed that the highest score for the experimental group was 34 while the

lowest was 10. On the other hand, the highest score for control group was 30 and the

lowest was 8. Therefore, it was concluded that the experimental group had benefited

from the treatments which was believed to also help the students in the group towards

better understanding of the lesson on Past Tense.

For English as a Second Language (ESL) learners as well as teachers, learning

and teaching grammar have always been regarded as boring which resulted in less

attention on grammar lesson in ESL classes (Nairn, 2003). This issue could not be left

unattended since grammar lesson plays vital role in boosting learners competency in

the second language learnt. Furthermore, learners are considered as competent

language users when they have sufficient knowledge about the grammar of the

language which then enables them to perform in oral as well as in written form. That

is why Nairn (2003) claimed that the drawback of neglecting grammar lesson could

be seen in the long term where learners success in learning the language is affected
especially in the case involving examination and grading. Looking into the Malaysian

context, teachers should not resist from conducting grammar lesson in an education

system that is very much based on learners written performance in the examination.

2.4 Providing Feedbacks on Grammatical Errors

Most ESL teachers would agree that grammatical errors should be pointed out

for learners to notice what is lacking in their application of grammar. Another belief

which is common to ESL teachers is that if a teacher points out the learners errors,

they are expected to understand, take note of them, and then they could improve their

writing without repeating the same errors. In contrast, Gray (2004) in his journal on

grammar correction has stated that this belief is merely common sense shared between

the teachers. He found that error correction had discouraged learners to write that they

tend to have negative feeling on writing as compared to those whose errors were not

corrected.

In the same journal, Gray insisted that despite the findings which had proven

the drawbacks of error correction, it did play its role in improving ESL learners

written performance. Thus, the techniques of giving practical feedbacks should be put

into consideration in order for learners to be informed of the errors they had made

without affecting their motivation on writing the language. Some suggested possible

solutions have included the usefulness of giving short grammatical lessons before

class based on the learners previous homework and discussing some grammatical

errors. Semke (1984) in Gray (2004) has come out with an idea which implies the

need for teachers to relate the errors in writing with the whole content of the writing

itself. In other words, the errors should be put into contexts so that the learners would
have clear view on the causes of errors as well as learning the correct concept of

particular grammar rules.

2.5 Students Views on Teachers Feedback

Ferris and Hedgcock (2005) have revealed several finding from various

studies on the way the students perceive teachers feedback on errors. It is found that

students view the comments made by teachers as extremely vital to an extent that they

would be helpful for further improvements. Besides that, the students also would

really appreciate the comments on variety of issues without focusing on language

errors per se. This event supports the earlier claim by Semke (1984) in Gray (2004)

who proposes that the teachers need to contextualize the errors; integrating them with

the writing content.

Despite the appreciation by students, other studies have discovered that there

are students who would feel frustrated while receiving teachers feedback. The causes

for their frustration which have been claimed by Semke include the illegibility of the

comments, the comments which are cryptic; consisting of incomprehensible symbols,

circles, single-word questions, or comments which are seen as confusing with the

ambiguous questions, less practical alternatives or suggestions for improvement.

Another review by Ferris and Hedgcock (2005) on several findings is the

evidence of students open mindedness to receive the comments or feedback from the

teachers. This finding would give a perspective for teachers that there are students

who would take teachers comments positively provided that the comments are

constructive ones followed by teachers encouragement. In fact, the findings suggest

that teachers constructive criticism would not make the students feel offended or
even hurt since the students practically know it is for the sake of improvement in

writing as well as in boosting their proficiency in the language learnt.

CHAPTER 3

METHODOLOGY

3.0 Introduction

This chapter highlights the research design, sampling, instruments being used,

procedures of collecting and analysing the data and limitations of the study.

3.1 Research Design

This is a case study utilizing error analysis of learners writing performance,

specifically on grammatical errors. The case study involved a group of people being

observed in order to determine the outcomes. In this study, the common grammatical

errors were the outcomes obtained from the students writing. The number of errors

committed was also taken into consideration.

3.2 Sample and Sampling Procedures

The researcher applied the procedures of convenience sampling in which the

samples were selected simply because they were easily accessible to the researcher
(Fook, Sidhu, & Singh, 2006). In other words, the samples consisted of the

researchers students in the English class taught. Specifically, the study was conducted

on 15 Form Four students of the weakest group for English subject. Those 15 students

represented 9.3 percent of the total 162 Form Four students in the school. The

secondary school is a boarding school located about 10 kilometres from Kuantan.

This school had actually held a programme for English subject where all the

Form Four students were divided into four groups based on a special test. The test is

conducted once a year as early as in the month of January. According to one of the

Form Four teachers, the aims of the test were to identify students proficiency levels

and skills besides to identify students maturity of thoughts. The duration of the test is

one hour. In short, the samples were all from the last group in which the researcher

was teaching. Although they were from the weakest group, their level of proficiency

is classified as intermediate based on their performance in class. The marks that they

scored in the test were the lowest among the total of 162 Form Four students of the

school.

3.3 Research Instruments

There was only an instrument used in this study which was the students

writing on a given topic. The title of the essay was chosen from a past year question

of SPM 2010 which was It had been raining all day. The rationale of choosing the

essay question from the public examination is because the question was undoubtedly

valid for students in terms of the context, theme as well as syllabus. Narrative essay

was preferred since it does not restrict the students use of language as well as

creativity upon performing the language. For research purpose, the students were

given 50 minutes to write an essay of 250 words. The writing took place during
school session, specifically in the two-period English class. The question for essay

writing was given as follow:

SPM 2010
Write a composition of about 250 words on the
following topic.
Write a story beginning with:
It had been raining all day

Figure 3.3(a): Narrative Writing Question

3.4 Data Collection Procedures

Since the research was on students common grammatical errors in writing, the

data was collected in written form; the students writing of narrative essay collected

after the two-period English lesson. The rationale of having written data was the fact

that it was easier to be analysed since it provided clear evidence of the expected

findings which were the grammatical errors. Not only was the written data easy to

obtain but also the fact that the data was easy to be presented on paper. Meanwhile,

numerical data was also collected when it came to counting the errors and converting

them into percentage.

3.5 Data Analysis Procedures

All the 15 transcripts of the essays were collected right after the class ended

and they were marked later. Proofreading technique was sometimes used whenever

appropriate to point the errors besides written comments at the end of the transcripts.

Specific grammatical errors marked were extracted to be classified into several

categories including Parts of Speech and Tenses which were most commonly found

based on the essays written. The analysing stage considered counting the number of
errors according to the respective categories before the comparison was made on the

frequency of the types of error committed.

As the types of errors were identified and tabulated, the analysis continued on

investigating the various forms of grammatical errors based on the most common

ones. For instance, the most common grammatical errors were classified under the use

of Tenses. The forms of errors on Tenses were later divided into several sub categories

such as Past Simple, Past Progressive and Past Perfect.

3.6 Limitations

The major limitation is the issue of generalizability of the findings that might

not apply to the larger scale of the boarding schools context in Malaysia. To be

precise, this study encompassed the common grammatical errors committed by only

15 Form Four students of a boarding school, a number which do not represent the

performance of the whole student population of the school. This is due to the limited

abilities and time of the researcher to be really focused and aware of every single

grammatical error made by learners and to record all the errors.

 CHAPTER 4

DATA ANALYSIS

4.0 Introduction

In this chapter, two types of data are presented and analysed which cover both

qualitative and quantitative data gathered from the research. The first part of the

chapter reveals the qualitative data of the types of grammatical errors committed by

the students in their writing as well as the quantitative data of their frequencies and

percentages. These data would answer the first research question on what are the

grammatical errors committed by ESL learners in written form. As the chapter

continues, qualitative data representing the finding on the errors in the use of Tenses

committed by ESL learners are presented.

4.1 Grammatical Errors Committed by ESL Learners in Writing

Table 4.1: Types of Grammatical Errors

Types of Grammatical Error (Frequency)

Tenses Gerund Adjective Noun Verb SVA Preposition
Student
A 7 4 - 4 2 3 -
B 15 1 1 1 - 1 -
C 22 - 1 4 - 1 3
D 8 2 1 1 2 1 2
E 11 1 - - 1 - 1
F 21 - 1 3 2 - 1
G 1 3 1 2 4 3 2
H 28 1 1 3 9 1 -
I 1 2 2 - - 1 -
J 5 - 3 - 1 - -
K 18 1 3 2 4 4 3
L 10 - 1 3 2 4 3
M 17 2 3 7 4 5 4
N 12 - 2 3 2 2 -
O 11 1 - 1 2 1 2
Total 187 18 20 34 35 27 21
Total % 54.68 5.26 5.85 9.94 10.23 7.89 6.14
 The table shows seven types of grammatical errors identified based on the

students narrative writing which includes errors in Tenses, Gerund, Adjective, Noun,

Verb and Subject-Verb Agreement (SVA) and Preposition. It is discovered that the

most frequent types of error being committed are errors in the use of Tenses, followed

by errors in the uses of Verb and Noun which make up the three most common

grammatical errors as a whole. Meanwhile, the least number of errors are those of the

use of Gerund.

Table 4.1 also indicates the presence of errors in students writing as

individuals. This finding reveals that every student commits at least one error in the

use of Tenses. A total of 12 students commit errors in the uses of Adjective, Noun,

Verb and SVA respectively. Besides that, there are only nine students with errors on

Preposition and 10 students with errors in the use of Gerund. It is also discovered that

each student has committed at least three types of grammatical error with four

students are recorded to have committed a maximum of seven types of grammatical

errors respectively. An average of five types of errors is identified from each students

writing based on the calculation made by finding the approximated mean.

In the same table, the last row portrays the data on the presence of

grammatical errors in percentage form. Based on the data, the difference of

percentage recorded is rather obvious with the highest percentage is 54.68. This is to

clarify that 54.68 percent of all the errors committed by the students fall under the

category of Tenses. The second highest percentage recorded is the errors committed

in the use of Verbs which is 10.23 percent, followed closedly by the errors in the uses

of Verbs and Nouns which cover 9.94 and 7.89 percent respectively, of the total
percentage. 6.14 percent of errors committed in the use of Prepositions while the two

lowest percentages of errors are those committed in the uses of Gerunds (5.26%) and

Adjectives (5.85%).

4.1.1 Analysis of Grammatical Errors Committed by ESL Learners in

Writing

Tenses

Based on the findings, it is summarized that there are three most

common types of grammatical errors identified from the students writing

which are errors in Tenses, Verb and Noun. These three types of errors can be

further divided into several categories in detail; considering the examples of

errors extracted from the writing.

As presented in the statistics, the most common grammatical errors

committed fall under the category of Tenses. Since the genre of the essay

given to the students is narrative, it could somehow be predicted that they tend

to commit errors on the application of Past Tense. Most errors of this type

portray that the students did not change the Verbs into Past Tense form. In

cases where there were more than three errors of the same type, the Verbs were

repeatedly used in Present Tense from the beginning until the end of the

writing. For example:

Then, Adam, my only son bring it to me and show

me the album. He also ask me to tell him a story
about a picture of me and the guy beside me at a
river holding a big, huge catfish. Suddenly, an
unrank sad feeling attack my heart and soul
(Refer to Appendix A)
 Excerpt 4.1.1(a): Errors in the Inappropriate Use of Present Tense

Referring to the excerpt above, the bold words are Verbs which the

student did not change into Past Tense form. Since it had been made

compulsory for the essay to begin with the sentence It had been raining all

day, the student should have understood that all the Verbs used to describe

things happening in the past should be in the form of Past Tense. Thus, the

bold Verbs in Excerpt 4.1.1(a) should be written as brought, showed,

asked and attacked.

Besides the Simple Past Tense, there are two types of Tenses which

have not been correctly applied in the students writing. For example:

(a) Ryan, I am sorry. I has try my best but Gods

plan is flawless, (Refer to Appendix B)
(b) She was try start a piggy bank for them so they
could go to college. (Refer to Appendix C)

Excerpt 4.1.1(b): Errors in the Inappropriate Use of Tenses

Both sentences in the above excerpt contain errors on the application

of two types of Tenses. Sentence (a) shows the error represented by the phrase

has try. For this example, the student should have applied the rule of Present

Perfect Tense which takes the form of verb to have + a past participle which

should make up the correct phrase of has tried. Putting Sentence (a) into the

context of the whole essay, the Past Perfect is not applied to correct the bold

phrase because the sentence is a dialogue; spoken directly at that particular

moment.
 For sentence (b), the error represented by the bold phrase is

categorized under the application of the Past Continuous Tense. This type of

tense is used to talk about something happening around a past time. It takes

the form of verb to be + (verb+ing), resulting in the correct form of the phrase

was trying which is supposed to be used in sentence (b).

Verbs

Errors in the use of Verbs vary from those related to tenses with the

applications of certain types of verb including Modal Verbs, Verb versus

Noun, verbs in passive form and also Verb to be. For these findings to be

clarified, the excerpts below are further analysed.

(a) While I was sawing her, I remember to my cousin

(Refer to Appendix D)
(b) We saw her leg was blooding seriously. (Refer to
Appendix D)
(c) I cannot accepted the fate but I tried to be calm. (Refer
to Appendix G)
(d) Her parents dead in an accident. (Refer to Appendix F)

(e) Shah found with a pale face and Shah was declare
dead. (Refer to Appendix A)
(f) I hoped she at home. I tried to find her at her favourite
bookstore but she not there. I just wanted to confess my
feeling toward her before it too late. I still happy
because she was the last image that I saw.
(g) She stoped and started to run.
(For both examples (f and g), refer to Appendix
B)

Excerpt 4.1.1(c): Errors in the Use of Verbs

 The first two sentences show errors on the use of Verbs in relation to

Past Continuous Tense. However, the obvious problem is that the form verb +

ing is not applied appropriately since the student should not have used Past

Tense form of the Verb added with the continuous form ing which creates

the word sawing instead of seeing. On the other hand, the second sentence

shows the incorrect form of the Verb which should be bleed + ing and not the

noun blood plus the continuous form of ing.

Based on the students writing, there are quite a number of errors in the

use of Modal Verbs just like the one committed in sentence (c). Although the

whole idea is that verbs describing past events in the essay should be in the

Past Tense, it is restricted that the use of Modal Verb should be followed by

the root word of a Verb resulting in the correct phrase of cannot accept

substituting the wrong one, cannot accepted.

Next, sentence (d) is one of those sentences in the students writing

which portrays the interchanging of choices between Verb and Noun, while in

other situation it is between Verb and Adjective. For sentence (d) in the

excerpt, the student might have wanted to use the word dead as a Verb but it

should be corrected to form the sentence as Her parents died in an accident.

Alternatively, the students could still use the word dead functioning as

Adjective; resulting in the new sentence of Her parents were dead because of

the accident.

Another common error in the use of Verbs is regarding the Passive

Verb forms such as those highlighted in sentence (e). The restricted form of a

Passive Verb is be + a participle. Therefore, the grammatical sentence to

correct those errors in sentence (e) would be Shah was found with a pale face

and he was declared dead. This is the grammatically correct sentence with the

application of passive form, concordant with the tense used for the whole

essay which is Past Tense.

The next grammatical errors in the use of Verbs might not be

considered as the wrong use of Verbs. It is actually the omission of Verbs,

which in this case in sentence (f), the omission of Verb to be before a

Preposition or Adjective. Obeying the grammatical rules, the corrections

would change those phrases into she was at home, she was not there, it

was too late and I was still happy. Besides, a minor error in the use of Verbs

is identified when the Simple Past form of the word stop is spelled wrongly

as stoped. The correct spelling should be stopped; another p is added

before the word is added with the morpheme -ed to mark the use of Simple

Past.

Nouns

As presented in the statistics, errors in the use of Nouns are included in

the three most common types of grammatical errors committed by students in

their writing. This type of error is further divided into several categories or

forms represented by the sentences in the following excerpt.

(a) We took all the three point. (Refer to Appendix E)

(b) With 10 game remaining, we had won six matches,
drawn three and lost one. (Refer to Appendix E)
 (c) Almost every weekend, Shah and me went swimming in
the river. (Refer to Appendix A)
(d) After a few minute, my mother, me and rescue team
arrived at the river bank. (Refer to Appendix A)
(e) As fast as my foots could bring me, I hoped she was at
home. (Refer to Appendix B)

Excerpt 4.1.1(d): Errors in the Use of

Nouns

In sentence (a) and sentence (b), the uses of both nouns are incorrect

since the nouns are not concordant with the numbers before them. As the rule

of grammar has stated, Nouns which are more than one are classified as plural

Nouns and the regular form of plural Nouns is noun + s. Thus, the

grammatically correct use of Nouns should modify point and game into

points and games respectively.

The second category of errors on the use of Nouns is identified in

sentence (c), with the Noun me in bold. This is a very common error found in

the students writing where it involves the structure of those sentences with the

Pronoun me being used instead of the correct form; Shah and I. The same

goes to the errors in me and my family in another situation where it is

supposedly written as my family and I.

4.1.2 Errors Committed in the Use of Tenses by ESL Learners in

Writing

Based on the findings presented in the previous section, it is clear that

the students committed the most number of errors in the use of Tenses. The

following calculation may give an idea on the data collected on the errors:

Mean = Total Errors in Tenses / Total Number of Students

 = 187/15

= 12.47~12

Figure 4.1.2: Average Errors Committed by Each Student

The mean calculated indicates that an average of 12 errors in the use of

Tenses were committed by each student. These errors are divided into several

categories of Tenses as what have been presented in the previous section. It is

found that the various forms of errors in the use of Tenses constitute most

errors in the following categories:

Tenses No. of Errors Percentage of Errors (%)

Simple Past 151 80.75
Past Progressive 19 10.16
Past Perfect 17 9.09
Total 187 100
Table 4.1.2: Grammatical Errors in the Uses of Tenses

It is discovered that most of the errors in the use of Tenses are those

under the main category of Simple Past Tense which cover 80.75 percent of

the total errors. This is followed by the errors in the use of Past Progressive

represented by an amount of 10.16 percent. The remaining 9.09 percent

constitute the errors in the use of Past Perfect Tense. For the Simple Past, this

type of errors can be identified in the following examples.

When I enjoy watching movie Hantu Kak Limah Balik

Rumah with all my children, suddenly I see one of my
children is search thoroughly for no reason and he find
an old album with black and white photo.
(Refer to Appendix A)

Excerpt 4.1.2(a): Errors in the Inappropriate Use of Present Tense

 From the example in Excerpt 4.1.2(a), there are four errors which show

the inappropriate use of the Simple Present Tense. The words enjoy, see

and find should be in the Simple Past Tense form since the events stated in

the essay took place in the past. Thus, the correct form of Simple Past Tense

should be applied to modify the words into enjoyed, saw and found. The

word is is inappropriate because it is followed by a verb,search. For that

reason, the grammatical form should be in Past Tense. When a continuous

action happens in the past, the appropriate tense to be used is the Past

Progressive. As a correction, the phrase is search in the example should take

the form of the Past Progressive Tense was searching.

The next example of errors in Tenses can be identified based on the

following excerpt.

I saw a little girl crying at the bus stop. I asked myself

Where was her heir? What was she doing there
alone? After a moment, I realised that there was no
use to ask those questions

(Refer to Appendix F)

Excerpt 4.1.2(b): Errors in the Inappropriate Use of Past Tense

From the above example, the words in bold are already in the Simple

Past form. The use of the form is considered ungrammatical and it is

inappropriate for words in bold to take the form of the Simple Past in

dialogues. Therefore, the Simple Present form should be applied to correct the

errors to change the word was with the word is.

 Next, there are also several examples taken from the students essays to

show the occurences of errors in Tenses including the Simple Past, Past

Progressive and Past Perfect.

(a) The reason why I am not coming with them was I want
to do the revision. My PMR exam trial was around the
corner. My dad always remind me to study. (Refer to
Appendix G)

(b) Sara was protect the money for our daughters in a jar.
She was try to start a piggy bank for them so they could
go to college. (Refer to Appendix C)
(c) Unfortunately, she did not know where her father gone.
(Refer to Appendix F)
(d) We noticed that Shah had disappear from our sight.
(Refer to Appendix A)

Excerpt 4.1.2(c): Errors in the Application of Tenses

In sentence (a), the words in bold indicate the errors where they should

take the form of the Simple Past Tense since the actions happen in the past.

They should be written as was, wanted and reminded, respectively to

make the sentences grammatically correct. For sentence (b), the words in bold

are ungrammatical and they are supposedly written as protecting and trying

as to apply the correct form of Past Progressive Tense.

The last two examples are the errors in the use of Past Perfect Tense.

Instead of using the words in bold which are grammatically incorrect, the form

of Past Perfect Tense should be applied so that the words are written as had

gone and had disappeared, respectively.

 CHAPTER 5

CONCLUSIONS, DISCUSSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS

5.0 Introduction

This chapter presents the conclusions and recommendations of the study. The

discussions are also included as parts of the conclusions to further explain the findings

of the study.

5.1 Conclusions and Discussions

The conclusions and discussions are based on the two research questions of

the study. They are separately presented in the following sections of 5.1.1 and 5.1.2.

5.1.1 What are the grammatical errors committed by ESL learners in

writing?

As presented in the data, there are seven types of grammatical errors

committed by the selected ESL learners which include errors in the uses of

Tenses, Verbs, Nouns, Adjectives, Prepositions, Gerunds and Subject-Verb

Agreement (SVA). These errors are committed due to some possible causes.

In most cases, the errors emerged from what Richard (1973) proposed

as overgeneralization. He explains the concept of overgeneralisation as

involving an unusual structure in place of two regular structures; for examples,

He can sings, We are hope, It is occurs. In other words,

overgeneralization takes place when the learners apply the same grammatical

rule for all events. For instance, learners have been taught that Verbs written in

Past Tense form should take the form of verb + (-ed) while they might care

less about irregular verb forms.

Sentence (e) in Excerpt 4.1.1(d) portrays an error due to the

overgeneralisation of the plural form of the Noun foots. The error

committed shows the occurance of overgeneralisation of the plural Noun form

which usually takes the form of noun + (-s). The students applied the regular

form of plural Noun while the correct form should be feet. Meanwhile, in

sentence (g) taken from Exerpt 4.1.1(c), the overgenaralisation is identified in

the word stoped which applies the regular form of Past Tense verb + (-ed)

when the correct one should be stopped. As the general rule of Past Tense

form of Verbs is overgeneralised, this particular learner might not be aware of

the irregular forms.

Discussing the common errors based on Browns (2007) view on

errors, he claims errors as reflecting the learners competence which cannot be

self-corrected. Thus, the students continuously apply the same rules of

grammar in the way that they understand that they tend to overgeneralise them

until the errors are highlighted by others who have the competence. Besides,

the errors may be due to ignorance of rule restriction which Richard (1973)

states as closely related to the generalization of deviant structures.

Referring to Excerpt 4.1.2(b), there might be no errors of grammar

detected. However, as the context is taken into consideration, the use of Past
Tense in dialogue is actually referred to as error committed possibly because

of the ignorance of rule restriction by Richard (1973). Referring to his claim,

this occasion is the error which shows that the learner fails to observe the

restiction of rule to context where it does not apply. Supposedly, sentences in

dialogues are to be written in Present Tense form because the nature of

dialogue which is spoken or voiced at present.

As to compare with previous studies on Error Analysis, there are

several mutual aspects that can be referred to such as the contexts of the

studies and also the finding. For example, Zanariah (2002) has conducted a

research to find errors in writing composition. The technique used to collect

the data was the same which is the students writing but the genre was not

narrative in nature. While this study involved 15 Form Four students of a

boarding school near Kuantan, Zanariah (2002) did on 40 Form Two students

of a rural school in Kuala Pilah. However, the finding was almost the same

that the common grammatical errors found includes those in Tenses, Subject-

Verb Agreement, and Verbs.

In conclusion, there are seven types of grammatical errors committed

by ESL learners in this study which involve the uses of Tenses, Gerunds,

Adjectives, Nouns, Verbs, SVA and Prepositions. The errors are analysed and

interpreted as emerging from several causes proposed by Richard (1973)

which includes overgeneralisation and ignorance of rule restrictions.

5.1.2 What are the errors in the use of Tenses committed by ESL

learners in writing?
 In this section, the discussion is also based on the finding of the study

which discovers that grammatical errors committed by ESL learners involved

are classified in the use of Tenses. Various forms of errors are identified to be

discussed in relation to some theoretical framework as well as findings from

previous studies.

The rule of Tenses is an important element in English grammar and L2

or ESL learners have difficulties in understanding and applying the use of

various Tenses in English grammar system. This issue is closely related to the

strong version of Contrastive Analysis Hypotheses (CAH) proposed by Lado

(1957) which states that L2 learners will face difficulties in language aspects

which differ from those they have in their L1. Those aspects comprise Tenses

as well since there is no application of such rule in Malay language.

As basic as the Simple Past Tense, students also committed errors on

the other types of Tenses such as the Past Perfect and Past Progressive as

shown in Excerpt 4.1.2(c). From the examples, all the sentences contain errors

in Tenses, specifically, Past Tense. As the rule has stated, the element which

can represent a Tense is the Verb used. Sentences in (a) show the bolded words

which are supposed to be written in Simple Past Tense forms of was,

wanted and reminded respectively. This is to apply the rule of Past Tense in

a concordant manner. This rule of concordance whereby all the Verbs should

take the same form of the same Tenses used in sentence or contexts do not

apply in the learners L1 or the Malay Language.

Tenses in English can somehow specify the time an action or

event is happening by modifying the forms of the Verbs but again, there
is no such system in Malay language. Referring to sentence (b), the

learner modified the verb go into its participle form gone but it is still

considered as an error since the form of Past Perfect Tense is not

appropriately applied in the sentence. The form of the Past Perfect Tense

should be had + past participle resulting the correct form of had gone,

supposedly applied in sentence (b). If the sentence was to be written in

Malay, it would be Malangnya, dia (telah) tidak tahu ke mana ayahnya

(telah) pergi. Therefore, it is obvious that there is no time marker in the

Malay sentence unless the word telah is included.

For sentences in (c), the errors highlighted in the bold words are

mutual; concerning the incomplete application of the Past Progressive or

Past Continuous form. As Past Progressive marks the action happening

continuously in the past time, it takes the form of be (Past Tense) +

(verb ing) which should correct the errors into was protecting and

was trying. Based on what has been proposed by Ricahrd (1973), this

form of error is thus classified under incomplete application of rules

where in contrast with the learners L1, the form of Past Progressive

might be just too complicated to be fully understood and applied.

The next form of error is looking into the one involving the use

of another element of Past Tense which is the Past Perfect. The Past

Perfect Tense is used together with Past Simple; when a past action

happened after another such as in sentence (d). According to the context,

Shah must have been there before he had disappeared from their sight.

In other words, Shah was there before. (but) We noticed that Shah had

disappeared from our sight (after a few seconds).

 Based on the discussion on the various forms of errors in those

three Tenses, it can be deduced that Tenses are the elements which are

difficult for L2 learners because of the fact that such elements do not

exist in their L1. This condition is referred to what Lado (1957) claims

as negative transfer. In other words, the errors in various forms of Tenses

are committed due to the difference between the grammatical structures

of their L1 and that of their L2. In contrast with negative transfer,

positive transfer allows learners to apply the rules which are familiar in

their L1 in the structures of their L2. In cases of the use of Tenses in

English, negative transfer occurs very frequently as discussed earlier.

In comparisons with previous studies, the studies on Error

Analysis presented rather the same findings on the various forms of

errors on Tenses. For example, Rahayu (2001) conducted a study

pertaining to analysis of errors under the title The Students Performance

of Error in The Use of Past Tense: An Analysis in a Selected School. In

this study, 30 students of Sekolah Menengah Convent Ipoh, Perak were

taken as subjects. In terms of students and school background, they are

quite at the same level of proficiency with those 15 Form 4 ESL learners

involved in this which occupy of the intermediate level. The technique

of data collection is also the same; a writing composition but Rahayu

(2001) also included the fill in the blanks task to assess the errors. The

finding of her study matches those in this study with the three forms of

Past Tense (Simple Past, Past Perfect and Past Progressive) are detected

from the learners writing.

 Since the field of Error Analysis continues to attract the researchers

interest, there is another researcher who conducted a study involving 30 Malay

students as the subjects. The study by Zahiah (2003) entitled A Study of the

Error Analysis (Past Tense) in English written composition of Form Four

Students at Sekolah Menengah Kampung Laut, Tumpat Kelantan. As most

studies have applied, she also used the technique of assessing students

composition to find the errors. The result presented indicates that the most

frequently committed errors are those classified under the use of the very basic

Simple Past Tense. Comparing the finding by Zahiah (2003) with those gathered

from this study, Form Four ESL learners of SEMSAS, despite having slightly

higher lever of proficiency in English than Zahiahs subjects, they still

committed the errors in the use and forms of Simple Past Tense in their

respective narrative essays.

As the study has presented the findings and discussions on the errors

committed by ESL learners in writing, it is obvious that the learners,

specifically ESL learners do commit grammatical errors classified under various

forms as discussed. Upon assessing learners errors in writing, there are some

issues pertaining to the influence of errors committed towards learning of L2.

While the nature of errors is indicated as negative one, those committed errors

are actually worth to be carefully analysed in order to understand that

committing errors is included in the process of constructing a new language

system (Brown, 2007).

Selinker (1992) as cited in Ho (2003) has also come out with the idea

that errors are undoubtedly vital for learners as a device the use in order to

learn. For that reason, the errors on all grammatical aspects discussed in this
study might also be regarded as the process in which the ESL learners is

constructing the L2 system as well as allowing the errors to be functioning as

the device for them to keep on learning. Provided the conducive learning

environment in which the language is learnt, those errors might be an effective

medium for learners to make a review and correct their misunderstanding on the

related grammar items. Moreover, it is exactly a human nature to make mistakes

in life while to learn from the mistakes is the individuals choice.

5.2 Recommendations

There are several recommendations proposed based on this study for

further consideration. The recommendations are proposed to those related in the

educational field, those involved in the process of language learning and

teaching as well as researchers.

The current syllabus and curriculum might need to be revised and

improvised according to the needs of the language learners in school. Based on

this study, there is the need for students to be given emphasis on Tenses.

Therefore, the syllabus and curriculum designers for English might be able to

consider focusing more on that part of grammar item to be implemented in

English classrooms in schools.

Specifically for teachers teaching English language subject in schools, it

is highly recommended that the teaching of grammar be made as interesting as

possible for students or learners. Conventionally, the teaching and learning of

grammar involve the practice of drilling where students sit and routinedly

complete the written grammar exercises. As alternatives, it would be good that

if drilling is to be practiced the materials for drilling should be improvised.

Rather than paper and pen kind of drilling, teachers may consider using

materials such as newspapers and magazines as well as online versions of

drilling exercises. Or else, teachers might want to consider variety of teaching

approach in grammar lesson such as learning grammar through games, songs

and videos.

Lastly, if further research is to be conducted, there are many

considerations recommended for improvements especially in terms of the scale,

methodology and also data analysis strategy. To have a larger scale of sample

would increase the reliability of the finding. For instance, this study is only

highlighting on common grammatical errors committed by 15 ESL learners in

narrative writing. For futher research, it is worth to consider having the sample

of the same school background (boarding school) with more number of

students. Instead of collecting students essays, researchers can consider to

have several discrete tests on particular grammar items to ensure thorough

finding on the errors. Subsequently, the data analysis would also be more

detailed for further presentation and discussion.

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