Definition of Error An Error Analysis on the Use of Present Perfect Tense and Present Perfect Continous Tense” (A Case study at third grade students of SMP Muhammadiyah 17 Ciputat Timur

Firstly, if the learners present we can ask them what they intended to say to make authoritative reconstruction, it called authoritative interpretation. Then, if the learners are not available for consultant, we have to attempt an interpretation of their utterances base on its form and its linguistic and situational context. 11 Identifying errors is one of the steps of error analysis. To identify errors we have to compare the sentences produced by the learner with the corresponding sentences native speakers are likely to produce to express the same meanings. This is not always straight forward. Sometimes it is not clear whether a deviation is a slip of the tongue or a systematic error. Corder distinguished errors from mistakes. Errors reflect gaps in a learners knowledge of the target language. The learner does not know what is correct. Mistakes reflect occasional lapses in performance. The learner knows the correct form but slips due to nervousness, carelessness or tiredness. For example, many Chinese learners of English, even advanced learners, use he to refer to a female person in conversations. This is a mistake, not an error, as they know what the correct form is. Learners may correct themselves once they have the time to monitor their own speech or writing. Based on explanation about identification above, the writer assumes that identification of errors is not as easy as assumed. It is of importance to both researchers and teachers. For researchers, it is important to collect the right data. For teachers, it is necessary to treat mistakes and errors differently in their instruction.

c. Description of Errors

To describe the types of error, Dulay, Burt, and Krashen said that there are four types of errors: 12 11 Ibid, pp. 37-38 12 Heidi Dulay, Marina Burt, and Stephen Krashen, Language Two, New York: Oxford University Press, 1982, p. 154-162 1 Error based on linguistic category taxonomy These linguistics category taxonomies classify errors according to either or both the language component and the particular linguistic the error effects. Language components include phonology pronunciation, syntax and morphology grammar, semantics and lexicon meaning and vocabulary, and discourse style. And constituents include the elements that comprise each language components, such as the noun phrase, the preposition, the adverbs, the auxiliary, and the adjective. 2 Error based on surface strategy taxonomy Surface strategy taxonomy highlights four classifications for error as follows: a Omission Omission errors are recognized by absence of an item that must appear in a well-formed utterance. They include nouns, verbs, adjectives, adverbs. While grammatical morphemes play a minor role in conveying the meaning of a sentence. They include noun and verbs inflections the –s in books, the –ed in watched, article a, the, an, verbs auxiliaries is, will, can, and prepositions in, on, under. Based on those explanations, if grammatical morpheme is omitted, one could guess what the speaker had in mind. b Addition Addition errors are opposite of omission errors. They are characterized by the presence of an item, which must not appear in a well-formed utterance. There are three subtypes of addition. First is double markings, it occurred when two items are marked for the same feature. Second is regularization, it happened when foreign language learners use the regular form instead of irregular form of a word, for example they use eated instead of ate or sheeps for sheep. The last, if an addition error is neither a double marking nor regularization, it is called simple addition.