An Error Analysis on the Use of Simple Present Tense in Descriptive Texts Written by Pre-service Elementary Teachers

Hadna Suryantari

Abstract


This research aims to identify and classify the types of error made by first semester students of Elementary Education in using simple present tense in their descriptive texts. A quantitative approach with descriptive analysis was used as the research design. Errors were classified into four types based on Dulay’s Surface Strategy Taxonomy thus measurement on the chief errors and challenges which students encountered can be presented obviously. A total sampling technique was employed in this technique. There were 21 students of class A6-25 selected as the sample. This research reveals that the most errors of simple present tense usage are in omission error with percentage of 47.56%. There are 30.48 % errors found in addition type, 15.85 % errors in misformation type, and the least is in misordering type with percentage of 6.10%. In applying simple present tense in writing a descriptive text, the students’ errors are in subject-verb agreements, differing nominal and verbal sentences, the use of auxiliary verbs, and determining the correct article, preposition, conjunction, relative pronoun in adjective clauses, and adjectives order in noun phrases.

 


Keywords


Error Analysis; Simple Present Tense; Descriptive Texts

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References


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DOI: https://doi.org/10.31004/jele.v10i6.2067

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