Background of the Study

D. Objectives and Significance of the Study

The Objectives of the study are: 1. To obtain and identify the common error made by students in constructing Passive voice in Simple Past Tense. 2. To obtain the causes of errors in constructing Passive voice in Simple Past Tense. The result of this study are expected to be useful for English teachers, English learners and further researchers. For English teachers, they are expected to know how far the students comprehend about Passive voice in Simple Past Tense and recognize not only the common error but also the causes of errors in constructing Passive voice in Simple Past Tense made by the students. For English leaners, this research may help them to use Passive voice in Simple Past Tense in right pattern. This research may also be a reference for the future study related to Passive voice in Simple Past Tense. 5

CHAPTER II THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK

In this chapter, the writer would like to present three parts. Those are the explanation of error, error analysis and passive voice. The first part is the explanation about definition of error; cause of error; categories of error and the differences between error and mistake. The second part is the explanation about definition of error analysis; the goal of error analysis and the procedures of error analysis. The third part, the writer would like to explain about the meaning of passive voice, the use of passive voice and the forms of passive voice in simple past tense.

A. Error 1. Definition of Error

As leaner of a foreign language, making some error can not be avoidable for students. Error can be indicated process of formation a new system of language. Erdogan, the research assistant of Mersin University Faculty of Education points out that “Errors were considered as being the result of the persistence of existing mother t ounge habits in the new language.” 1 Hubard, et.al. adds the definition about error that “Errors caused by lack of knowledge about the target language English or by incorre ct hypotheses about it.” 2 Douglas Brown also defined error as “a noticeable deviation from the adult grammar of the native speaker, reflects the competence of the learner.” 3 In addition, Noam Chomsky, the American linguist, pointed out that “native speaker 1 Endorgan, Contribution of Error Analysis to Foreign Language Teaching. Mercin University Journal of the Faculty of Education, Vol.1, Issue 2, December 2005, p. 261-270 2 Hubard, et.al., A Training Course for TEFL, New York: Oxford University Press, 1983, p.134 3 Brown, Principles of Language Learning and Teaching, 4th ed., New York: Longman, 2000, p.217 makes many errors when they are speaking performing, even though the native speaker has, by definition, a perfect command of his language-perfect knowledge of grammatical rules, lexis and the sound system .” 4 Furthermore, John Norrish states about the error that “Let us call a systematic deviation, when a learner has not learnt something and constistently „gets it wrong’, it is an error.” 5 Susan and Larry points out about error that “It is likely to occur repeatdly and is not recognize by the learner as an error.” 6 Based on some definitions from the experts above, the writer would like to define what error is. Error is an inacceptable perm orfance of the student’s work which find regularly and they cannot self corrected their own mistake. Errors discuss can be an indicator of the student s’ level in mastery their target. From the errors that the students commit, one can determine their level of mastery of language system.

2. Differences Between Error and Mistake

It is necessary for distinction between error and mistake because both are different. Ellis explores that “errors reflect gaps in a learner’s knowledge; they occur because the learner does not know what is correct. Mistakes reflect occasional lapses in performance; they occur because, in a particular instance, the learner is unable to oerform what he or she knows. ” 7 In addition, Hubbard et.al said that “error caused by lack of knnowledge about the target language English or by incorrect hypothesis about it; and 4 Hubard., A Training Course for TOEFL, New York: Oxford University Press, 1983, p.133 5 Norrish, Language Learners and Their Errors, London: The Macmillan Press, 1983, p.7 6 Grass and Selinker, Second Language Acquisition: An Introductory Course, London: LawrenceErlbaum Associates, Inc., 2001, p.78 7 Ellis, Second Language Acquisition, New York: Oxford Univerity Press, 2003, p.17