An Analysis of the Eleventh-Grade Students’ Present Tense Errors in Writing Report Text

Reza Nurfaida, Galuh Kirana Dwi Areni

Abstract


Mastering the simple present tense is crucial for writing factual texts like reports, yet many Indonesian EFL students struggle with it. This study identifies the types and causes of present tense errors in report texts written by seventeen eleventh-grade students at MAN 22 Jakarta. Using a qualitative descriptive method and Dulay, Burt, and Krashen’s Surface Strategy Taxonomy, the errors were classified as omission, addition, misformation, or misordering. A total of 187 errors were found, with misformation being the most common. The main causes were interlingual transfer, limited grammar knowledge, and direct translation from Bahasa Indonesia. Interviews confirmed that minimal practice and exposure also contribute to these errors. The findings underline the need for contextualized grammar instruction and engaging writing activities to help EFL students write more accurately and confidently.


Keywords


Simple Present Tense, Grammatical Errors, Report Text, Error Analysis

Full Text:

PDF

References


Adam, N., Abid, A., & Bantulu, Y. (2021). Challenges in teaching English writing skills: Lessons learnt from Indonesian high school English language teachers. Jambura Journal of English Teaching and Literature, 2(1), 12–21. https://doi.org/10.37905/jetl.v2i1.10632

Astuti, D. (2016). Using local drama in writing and speaking: EFL learners’ creative expresssion. Journal of English Language Teaching and Linguistics, 1(1), 51–77.

Diana, L. (2020). Developing Simple Present Tense Mastery in Writing. English Journal of Indragiri (EJI), 4(2), 264–278.

Dörnyei, Z. (2001). Motivational Srategies in the Language Classroom. In Sustainability (Switzerland) (Vol. 11, Issue 1). Cambridge University Press. https://doi.org/http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/CBO9780511667343

Dulay, H., Burt, M., & Krashen, S. (1982). Language Two. New York: Oxford University Press.

Fareed, M., Ashraf, A., & Bilal, M. (2016). ESL Learners’ Writing Skills: Problems, Factors and Suggestions. Journal of Education & Social Sciences, 4(2), 83–94. https://doi.org/10.20547/jess0421604201

Fauziah, P. (2022). Error Analysis of Using Simple Present Tense in 8th Graders’ Descriptive Text. Etnolingual, 6(1), 40–50. https://doi.org/10.20473/etno.v6i1.34062

Fitrawati, F., & Safitri, D. (2021). Students’ Grammatical Errors in Essay Writing: A Pedagogical Grammar Reflection. International Journal of Language Education, 5(2), 74. https://doi.org/10.26858/ijole.v5i2.16128

Hyland, K. (2004). Second Language Writing in Secondary School Contexts: Issues and Perspectives. In Second Language Writing.

Lightbown, P. M., & Spada, N. (2013). How Languages are Learned. In Oxford handbooks for language teachers (Vol. 2013).

Perlin, A., Sartika, D., & Nery, R. (2020). An Error Analysis on the Use Of Simple Present Tense in Paragraph Writing of The Second Semester at English Language Education at Islamic University Of Ogan Komering Ilir Kayuagung. Edu-Ling Journal, 3, 147–155. https://doi.org/10.36057/jips.v6i1.536

Prasetyo, N., Saehu, A., & Sundari, H. (2022). Grammatical Errors in Writing Recount Texts (A Case Study at The First Year of Senior High School). Edukatif : Jurnal Ilmu Pendidikan, 4(5), 7086–7096. https://doi.org/10.31004/edukatif.v4i5.4000

Purba, A., Pasaribu, A. N., Elfrida, R., & Pasaribu, T. K. (2023). Errors in Using English Verbs by EFL Students: Tenses and Aspects Analyses. Scope : Journal of English Language Teaching, 7(2), 137. https://doi.org/10.30998/scope.v7i2.16437

Richards, J. C. (1971). Error Analysis And Second Language Strategies. International Center for Research on Bilingualism, 25, 1–27.

Rosmiaty, R., Ratnawati, R., Yuriatson, Y., Angraeny, L., & Azani, F. M. (2023). Investigating the Influence of Explicit Grammar Instruction for Indonesian EFL Students’ Academic Writing Skills. ELT Worldwide: Journal of English Language Teaching, 10(2), 381. https://doi.org/10.26858/eltww.v10i2.53641

Saville-Troike, M. (2012). Introducing Second Language Acquisition. In Introducing Second Language Acquisition. https://doi.org/10.1017/cbo9780511808838.002

Selinker, L. (1972). Interlanguage. International Review of Applied Linguistics in Language Teaching (IRAL), 10(1–4), 209–231. https://doi.org/10.1515/iral.1972.10.1-4.209

Wu, H. P., & Garza, E. V. (2014). Types and attributes of english writing errors in the efl context—a study of error analysis. Journal of Language Teaching and Research, 5(6), 1256–1262. https://doi.org/10.4304/jltr.5.6.1256-1262

Zainuddin, Z., & Delavari, H. (2024). Solution draft to english skill problems of Indonesian educational institutions. Interling : International Journal of English Language Teaching, Literature and Linguistics, 2(2), 37–43. https://doi.org/10.55210/interling.v2i2.1548




DOI: https://doi.org/10.31004/jele.v10i4.1062

Refbacks

  • There are currently no refbacks.


Copyright (c) 2025 Reza Nurfaida, Galuh Kirana Dwi Areni

Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.