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THE ERROR ANALYSIS OF SIMPLE PAST TENSE IN RECOUNT TEXT

Tusino, Rio PambudiPurworejo Muhammadiyah University

tusino_1982@yahoo.com, riopambudi04@gmail.com

ABSTRACTThe objectives of this research are to identify the types of errors on the use of simple

past tense in students’ recount text writing and to find out the sources of the errors on the use of simple past tense in students’ recount text writing. This research focused on the eighth grade students at SMP N 1 Buayan, Kebumen. The method used in this study was descriptive qualitative. The data of this research was grammatical error on the use of simple past tense and the source of this research was recount text writing from 32 students of VIII A. The steps of error analysis were collection the data, identification, description, explanation, and evaluation of errors. The writer used Surface Strategy Taxonomy proposed by Ellis (2005:61) in analyzing the data. From the result, the total of errors is 351 errors made by students. From the frequency of each error types, misinformation is the error which most frequently produced by the students. It is 192 errors or 54,70% of the total errors. Moreover, omission is 122 errors or 34,76%; addition is 34 errors or 9,69%; and misordering is 3 errors or 0,85%. They mostly make errors in misformation of irregular verb in simple past tense, 166 errors or 47,29%. These errors come from the influence of their first language rules (interlingual), some errors occur because the students generalize the rule and apply it incompletely (intralingual). From the result of sources of error, there are 385 sources of error which are classified into 68 or 17,66% interlingual and 317 or 82,34% intralingual. The highest frequently sources of error make by students is intralingual, which consisted of 317 errors or 82,34%. They mostly make errors in intralingual of misformation, 192 errors or 43,90%. Most errors made by students are influenced by their target language rules. Later, the result of this research could be used as a feedback for teachers to implement effective learning in teaching tenses, in particular to simple past tense.Keyword: Error Analysis, Types of Error, Sources of Error

INTRODUCTIONEnglish is an international language in the whole of the world that always used to

communicate among people around the world. Patel (2008:6) states that English is the international language. International English is the concept of the English language as a global means of communication in numerous dialects, and also the movement towards an international standard for the language.

In Indonesia, English is as second language. It is common to consider the context of English learning in these places as EFL (English as a Foreign Language) context. People do not use it as lingua franca or the means of communication in several formal situations such as educational activity, governmental activity and law. In the study of English learning, ESL and EFL are regarded as similar in contexts, since, to some extent, they share similar situation. English has become one of compulsory subjects taught in Junior and Senior High Schools in Indonesia.

In learning English, there are four skills that should be mastered by Indonesian students. In curriculum 2013, English teaching in junior high school covers four competences. They are listening, speaking, reading, and writing. Those basic competences are integratedly taught because the main goal of teaching English is that students are able to develop their communicative skills in both written and spoken English. In addition, the language components – structure, vocabulary, spelling and pronunciation – are not separately taught.

Writing is one of the difficulties for the students in learning English. Westwood (2008:56) states that written language is perhaps the most difficult of all skills to acquire because its

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development involves the effective coordination of many different cognitive, linguistic and psycho-motor processes. It is because writing is a complex skill involving multiple processes and abilities that problems can arise for some students.

In curriculum 2013 syllabus of the eighth grade related to writing skill, students have to practice their writing ability by writing short functional text. There are five kinds of functional text, namely: descriptive, narrative, recount, report, and procedure. After making an short interview with students and teacher, they express that recount text is included a difficult functional text to write. According to Hyland (2004:66), the social function of recount is retell events in order to entertain or inform in the past. Since it tells about some events in the past, we should use simple past tense in writing recount text.

After making an interview with the teacher and the students, the researcher finds several problems in learning English, especially in writing recount text. Students are not easy in expressing their ideas and can not develop their writing. After doing analysis, the researcher knows that it is caused by several factors such as lack of vocabularies, structure, and tenses in learning English.

Based on the problems above, mastering simple past tense is very essential. The researcher is interested in investigating the students’ errors in writing recount text made by the eighth grade of SMP N 1 Buayan in the academic year of 2016/2017.

REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATUREa. Definition of Error Analysis

James (as cited in Sawalmeh, 2013:3) states that error Analysis is one of the most influential theories of second language acquisition. It is concerned with the analysis of the errors committed by L2 learners by comparing the learners’ acquired norms with the target language norms and explaining the identified errors.

According to James (as cited in Sawalmeh, 2013:3), EA refers to “the study of linguistic ignorance, the investigation of what people do not know and how they attempt to cope with their ignorance”.

Another definition of error analysis is given by Brown (as cited in Sawalmeh, 2013:3), he defined error analysis as "the process to observe, analyze, and classify the deviations of the rules of the second languages and then to reveal the systems operated by learner".

Based on the statements above, the researcher concludes that error analysis is a study for investigating learners’ competence in acquiring second language acquisition.

b. The Differences between Error and MistakeAccording to Corder (as cited in Jabben et al, 2015:53), the learners learn the

second and foreign language in the same way, to some extent, as the children acquire their first language.

While acquiring their first language, children also make a lot of errors and mistakes. Corder makes a distinction between the error and mistake. The difference is listed below:1) Errors are the result of incomplete learning and linguistic incompetency of the learners

and errors cannot be self-corrected.2) Mistakes are the results of poor performance of language due to many factors like

fatigue and carelessness on the part of learners etc. Learners have the knowledge of the correct linguistic form and they can self-correct themselves on the basis of their linguistic knowledge.

Another definition is given by Ellis (1997:17), he states that errors reflect gaps in a learner’s knowledge; they occur because the learner does not know what is correct. Mistakes, on the other hand, reflect occasional lapses in performance because the learner is unable to perform what she knows.

From the statements above, the researcher concludes that error is a deviation in learner language from the grammar of a native speaker which results from lack of

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knowledge of the correct rule. And mistake is a deviation in learner language which results from the failure to perform learners’ competence.

c. Type of ErrorAccording to Ellis (2005:61), there are four errors based on the surface strategy

taxonomy1. Omission

Omission errors are characterized by the absence of an item that must appear in a well-formed utterance. In order word in a sentence is a potential for omission.

2. AdditionAddition errors are the opposite of omissions. They are characterized by the presence of an item which must not appear in a well-formed utterance. Addition errors usually occur in the later stages of L2 acquisition, when the learner has already acquired some target language rules. Addition errors result from the all-too-faithfull use of certain rules.There are three types of addition error. They are:1) Double marking

Double marking occurs because two items rather than one are marked for the same features.

2) RegularizationRegularization errors are those in which a marker that is typically added to a linguistics item is errorneously added to exceptional item of the given class that do not take a marker.

3) Simple additionSimple addition errors are the “grab bag” sub category of additions. If an addition error is neither a double marking nor regularization, it is called a simple addition.

3. MisformationMisformation errors are characterized by the use of the wrong form of the morpheme or structure. In misformation errors the learner supplies something, although it is incorrect. There are three types of errors of this classification. They are:1) Achie-form

The selection of one member of a class of forms to represent others in the class is a common characteristic of all stages of second language acquisition. We have called the form selected by the learner an archi-form.

2) Alternating Forms3) As the learner’s vocabulary and grammar grow, the use of archie-forms often gives

way to apperently fairly free alternation of various members of a class with each other.

4. MisorderingMisordering errors are characterized by the incorrect placement of a morpheme or group of morpheme in an utterance. This kind of errors occurs when learners wrongly place the sequence of words in the sentences.

d. Sources of ErrorBy trying to identify the source, the teachers can begin to arrive at an

understanding of how learner’s cognitive and affective self relate to the linguistic system and to formulate an integrated understanding of the process of second language acquisition (Brown, 2007:263).

Errors arise from several general possible sources.1. Interlingual Transfer

Interlingual transfer is a significant source of error for all learners. In this stage, the errors made by the students are caused by the interference coming from the students’ native language. In learning a target language, the system of second language is

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similar. The native language is the only linguistic system in previous experience upon which the learner can draw.

2. Intralingual TransferIntralingual transfer is a major factor in the second language learning. These errors have no relation with students’ native language. It appears that are caused by the problem inside the second language itself.

3. Context of learningContext refers to the classroom with its teachers and its materials in the case of school learning or the social situation in the case of untutored second language learning. In the classroom context the teacher oe textbook can lead the learner to make a foulty hypotheses about the language what Richards (as cited in Brown, 2007:266) called “false concept”. Students often make errors because of a misleading explanation from the teacher, faulty presentation of a structure or word in textbook, or even because of a pattern that was rotely memorized in a drill but improperly contextualized.

4. Communication strategiesCommunication strategies were defined and related to learning styles. Learners obviously use production strategies in order to enhance getting their messages across, but at times these techniques can themselves become a sources of error.

METHODThis research was categorized as descriptive qualitative research. The data were

collected from analyzing errors of simple past in recount text made by eighth grade of SMP N 1 Buayan in the academic year of 2016/2017.

The researcher took students of class VIIIA as the subject of the research. This class consists of 32 students, namely 16 male and 16 female. The researcher took this class because the students in this class experienced some problems in learning English, especially writing skill.

To collect the data, the researcher used a test. From a test, the researcher obtained documentation in the form of recount text essay made by students. Documentation technique was used in this research.

FINDINGS AND DISCUSSIONFindings

The data of this research was the students’ recount text writing made by VIII A students at the eighth grade of SMP N 1 Buayan. After writing recount text, the students submitted their work to the researcher.

Their work would be identified whether it contained error or not. The first step of identifying errors was underlining the error word or sentence. The second step was coding for the data analyzed. The last step was describing the errors by grouping them in the detailed classification.

After doing all the steps of analyzing the data, the researcher found the error types in recount text which frequently made by the students as follows:1. Types of Error

Table 1 Types of Error Made by the Students

Code

Om

issi

on

Ad

dit

ion

Mis

form

ati

on

Mis

ord

eri

ing Frequency Percentage

S-1 3 - 3 - 6 1,71 %S-2 4 - 4 - 8 2,28 %S-3 4 - 3 1 8 2,28 %

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S-4 3 - 16 - 19 5,41 %S-5 2 - 4 - 6 1,71 %S-6 3 - 2 - 5 1,42 %S-7 4 - 6 - 10 2,85 %S-8 4 3 4 - 11 3,13 %S-9 4 - 5 - 9 2,56 %S-10 7 1 3 - 11 3,13 %S-11 5 2 6 - 13 3,70 %S-12 4 - 7 - 11 3,13 %S-13 - 1 3 - 4 1,14 %S-14 1 1 8 - 10 2,85 %S-15 5 - 5 - 10 2,85 %S-16 5 1 7 - 13 3,70 %S-17 - 2 2 - 4 1,14 %S-18 2 4 8 - 14 3,99 %S-19 1 - 5 2 8 2,28 %S-20 5 - 10 - 15 4,27 %S-21 6 1 7 - 14 3,99 %S-22 1 2 4 - 7 1,99 %S-23 6 1 7 - 14 3,99 %S-24 2 4 3 - 9 2,56 %S-25 11 - 10 - 21 5,98 %S-26 2 1 5 - 8 2,28 %S-27 4 3 8 - 15 4,27 %S-28 8 - 8 - 16 4,56 %S-29 7 - 7 - 14 3,99 %S-30 3 - 14 - 17 4,84 %S-31 3 2 7 - 12 3,42 %S-32 3 5 1 - 9 2,56 %

Total 122 34 192 3 351 100,00 %

Based on the table above, the researcher concluded that there was no student who did not make any errors. All the students made some errors in their writing. The total of errors was 351 errors namely Omission: 122 errors; Addition: 34 errors; Misformation: 192 errors; and Misordering: 3 errors. The highest amount of error was 21 errors (5,98%) made by the student S-25. The lowest amount of error was 4 errors (1,14%) made by the student S-13 and S-17. The average of errors made by all the students was 11 errors (3,13%). Here was the table of error types:

Table 2 Types of Error

Types of Error Frequency Percentage

Omission 122 34,76 %Addition 34 9,69 %Misformation 192 54,70 %Misordering 3 0,85 %

Total 351 100,00 %

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These types of error found in students’ recount text writing then it would be classified according to their kinds. Here are the kinds of error made by all the students as follows:

Table 3 Detailed Types of Error

Types of Error Frequency Percentage

OmissionRegular Verb 80 22,79 %Main Verb 17 4,84 %To be: was/were 25 7,12 %

AdditionMain Verb 12 3,42 %To be in Verbal Sentence 22 6,27 %

MisformationIrregular Verb 166 47,29 %To be: was/were 26 7,41 %

MisorderingSubject-Verb-Object Order 3 0,85 %

Total 351 100,00 %Based on the table above, it could be concluded that there were 351 errors which

were classified into 80 or 22,79% Omission of Regular Verb, 17 or 4,84% Omission of Main Verb, 25 or 7,12% Omission of To be: was/were; 12 or 3,42% Addition of Main Verb, 22 or 6,27% Addition of To be in Verbal Sentence; 166 or 47,29% Misformation of Irregular Verb, 26 or 7,41% Misformation of To be: was/were; and 3 or 0,85% Misordering of Subject-Verb-Object Order.

The result of the study showed that the most frequently errors made by students was Misinformation, which consisted of 192 errors or 54,7%. They mostly made errors in Misinformation of Irregular verb in Simple Past Tense, 166 errors or 47,29%.

2. Sources of ErrorTable 4 Source of Error

Source of Error Frequency PercentageInterlingual 68 17,66%Interlingual in Omission 32 8,31%Interlingual in Addition 14 3,64%Interlingual in Misformation 19 4,94%Interlingual in Misordering 3 0,78%Intralingual 317 82,34 %Intralingual in Omission 122 31,69%Intralingual in Addition - -Intralingual in Misformation 192 43,90%Intralingual in Misordering 3 0,78%

Total 385 100,00 %Based on the table above, it could be concluded that there were 385 sources of

error which were classified into 68 or 17,66% Interlingual and 317 or 82,34% Intralingual. 68 Interlingual was classified into 32 or 8,31% Interlingual of Omission, 14 or 3,64% Interlingual of Addition, 19 or 4, 94% Interlingual of Misformation, and 3 or 0,78% Interlingual of Misordering.

There 317 Intralingual. It was classified into 122 or 31,69% Intralingual of Omission, 192 or 43,90% Intralingual of Misformation, and 3 or 0,78% Intralingual of Misordering.

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The result of the study showed that the higest frequently sources of error made by students was Intralingual, which consisted of 317 errors or 82,34%. They mostly made errors in Intralingual of Misformation, 192 errors or 43,90%.

DiscussionAfter analyzing the finding of the research, the researcher discusses the error found by

grouping them into detailed classification as follows: 1. Types of Error

a. OmissionOmission errors found were Omission of Regular Verb, Main Verb, and To

be: was/were. Table 5 Omission of Regular Verb

CodeError

IdentificationError Correction Error Description

S-1 We arrive there We arrived there Omit the suffix –ed in past regular verd: arrived

We walk in Suwuk Beach

We walked at Suwuk Beach

Omit the suffix –ed in past regular verd: walked

I want to visit here I wanted to visit here Omit the irregular verb: wanted

There were 80 errors made by 30 students. They produced incorrect past verb form such as; play, enter, arrive rather than using; played, entered, arrived, etc.

Table 6 Omission of Main Verb

CodeError

IdentificationError Correction Error Description

S-4 We breakfast We had breakfast Omit the main verb: had

S-11 We selfie We took a selfie Omit the main verb: took

S-16 We selfie We took a selfie Omit the main verb: took

There were 17 errors made by 9 students. They did not put a past verb form when they produced sentences such as; we breakfast, I lunch, I prayer rather than using; we had breakfast, I had lunch, I had prayer.

Table 7 Omission of To be: was/were

Code Error Identification Error Correction Error Description

S-2 Water there hot The water there was hot

Omit was after subject: the water

There much fish There were much of fish

Omit were after subject: there

S-4 In the bus very comfortable

In the bus, it was very comfortable

Omit was after subject: it

There were 25 errors made by 19 students. They did not put a to be past form when they produced sentences such as; I happy, it sweet memory, it so hot rather than using; I was happy, it was sweet memory, it was so hot.

b. AdditionAddition error found were Addition of Main Verb and To be in Verbal

Sentence.

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Table 8 Addition of Main Verb

CodeError

IdentificationError Correction Error Description

S-11 We come back to under

We came to under Addition of Main Verb: came

S-18 We join ate with my family

We ate with my family

Addition of Main Verb: ate

We return play water

We played water again

Addition of Main Verb: played

The students added verb such as; direct, live, return, etc in verbal sentence after the subject. There were 7 students who produced 12 error sentences.

Table 9 Addition of To be in Verbal Sentence

CodeError

IdentificationError Correction Error Description

S-8 I’m go to Goa Cocor I went to Goa Cocor Addition of to be in verbal sentence: went

I’m climb hill I climbed hill Addition of to be in verbal sentence: climbed

I’m drink water Im drank water Addition of to be in verbal sentence: drank

There were 11 students who produced 22 error sentences. The students added to be such as; ’am, were, etc in verbal sentece after the subject.

c. MisformationThere were Misformation Error found: Misformation of Irregular Verb and To

be: Was/Were. Table 10 Misformation of Irregular Verb

CodeError

IdentificationError Correction Error Description

S-1 We swim We swam Misformation of irregular verb: swam

We buy We bought Misformation the irregular verb: bought

We see panorama We saw panorama Misformation the irregular verb: saw

There were 166 error senteces made by 31 students by using wrong past regular verb. They used present verb; go, buy, see rather than using; went, bought, saw.

Table 11 Misformation of To be: Was/Were

CodeError

IdentificationError Correction Error Description

S-2 The panorama there is very beautiful

The panorama there was very beautiful

Using is instead of was

S-3 The name is Pintol The name was Pintol Using is instead of was

Don’t compact We were not compact

Using were not instead of don’t

There were 26 error senteces made by 20 students by using incorrect “to be” of past form. They used present to be; is, are, ‘am rather than using; was, were.

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d. MisorderingThere was a Misordering Error found: Subject-Verb-Object Order.

Table 11 Misordering of Subject-Verb-Object Order (Correct Sentence Order)

Code Error Identification Error Correction Error Description

S-3 Suddenly 6 person we lost

Suddenly we lost 6 persons

Misordering of SVO order

S-19 There are could weather

The wheater was cold

Misordering of SVO order

There are wheater many cold

The wheater was cold

Misordering of SVO order

There were 3 error sentence made by 2 students. They made incorrect sentence order in putting subject-verb-object such as; suddenly 6 person we lost rather than; suddenly we lost 6 persons.

2. Sources of ErrorAfter analyzing the data, the researcher only found interlingual tranfer and

intralingual tranfer in students’ writing. There were not Context of Learning and Communication Strategies. a. Interlingual Error

Interlingual error came because of the role of first language or mother tongue. In this case, Bahasa Indonesia was their first language. Most of them made these errors because imitating the first language rules, their habitual utterances, and sometimes incorrect tranlation from L1 to L2. Here was the list of Interlingual made by students VIII A:

Table 12 Interlingual Error

Code Error Identification Error Explanation

S-1 I and my friend went to Suwuk Beach use bycircle

Interfence from Indonesian Translation: saya dan teman saya pergi ke Suwuk menggunakan sepeda

S-2 I there take a bath Interfence from Indonesian Translation: saya disana mandi

Water there hot Interfence from Indonesian Translation: air disana panas

There were 68 Interlingual Errors. It was classified into 32 or 8,31% Interlingual of Omission, 14 or 3,64% Interlingual of Addition, 19 or 4, 94% Interlingual of Misformation, and 3 or 0,78% Interlingual of Misordering.

b. Intralingual ErrorIf Interlingual happened because of the interference of mother tongue,

Intralingual erros happened mostly because the learner unabled to perform good sentence in L2 during their low understanding of L2 rules. Sometimes they overgeneralized the sentece by mixing two different rules in one utterance, ignored the restriction of rules, made the incomplete application of rules, and hypothesized the false concept.

Table 13 Intralingual Error

Code Error Identification Error Explanation

S-1 We arrive there Omit the suffix –ed in past regular verd: arrived

We walk in Suwuk Beach Omit the suffix –ed in past regular verd: walked

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There were 317 Intralingual Errors. It was classified into 122 or 31,69% Intralingual of Omission, 192 or 43,90% Intralingual of Misformation, and 3 or 0,78% Intralingual of Misordering.

CONCLUSIONThe total of errors make by the eighth grade students of SMP N 1 Buayan in their

recount text writing are 351 errors namely Omission: 122 or 34,76% errors; Addition: 34 or 9,69% errors; Misformation: 192 or 54,70% errors; and Misordering: 3 or 0,85 errors. The result of the study show that the most frequently errors made by students is Misinformation, which consisted of 192 errors or 54,7%. They mostly make errors in Misinformation of Irregular verb in Simple Past Tense, 166 errors or 47,29%.

There are 385 sources of error which are classified into 68 or 17,66% Interlingual and 317 or 82,34% Intralingual. The result of the study show that the higest frequently sources of error made by students is Intralingual, which consisted of 317 errors or 82,34%. They mostly make errors in Intralingual of Misformation, 192 errors or 43,90%.

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