Kinds of Errors in Using Gerund as Direct Object

4.2.2. Kinds of Errors in Using Gerund as Direct Object

There are certain English verbs can be followed by gerund. Besides, there are also certain verbs that can be used by either gerund or infinitive. This may cause confusion for the students in using gerund. There are 187 errors in using gerund as direct object made by the students. The errors consist of omission error, addition error, misinformation error, and misordering error. 1. Omission error Omission is an error of leaving out an item that is required for an utterance to be considered grammatical. There are 43 errors of omitting items in gerund as subect found in data. a. Omission of “ing” Original Sentence Reconstruction 20. I think your hair needs shampoo .

21. Her daughter prefers read

science fiction book. 22. Alice always avoids answer my questions. 23. The students do not mind do the test in 10 minutes. I think your hair needs shampooing Her daughter prefers reading science fiction book Alice always avoids answering my questions. The students do not mind doing the test in 10 minutes. Related to the samples above, the type of error is omission error because the students omitted “ing” of verb+ing form that must appear in those sentences. There are certain verbs that must be followed by verb+ing, but in these samples , the students omitted the “ing”. I think the reason of the students making this error is because they do not understand the use of verb+ing form after certain verbs well. Universitas Sumatera Utara b. Omission of verb “go” Original Sentence Reconstruction

24. I shopping with my

friends. I go shopping with my friends. Related to the sample above, the students used the verb+ing form without a verb precedes it. It is not correct form because there must be certain verbs before using verb+ing form in gerund as direct object. I think this error occurs because of the students’ lack of knowledge in using gerund as direct object.

2. Addition Error

Addition error is the presence of an item which must not appear in a well- formed utterance. There are 109 addition errors in using gerund as direct object made by the students. a. Addition of to infinitive Original Sentence Reconstruction

25. I think your hair needs to

shampoo.

26. Her daughter prefers to

read science fiction book

27. Alice always avoid to

answer my questions.

28. I finish to buy my

necessity, I go to cashier. I think your hair needs shampooing Her daughter prefers reading science fiction book Alice always avoid answering my questions. After I finish buying my necessity, I go to cashier. Related to the samples above, the type of error is addition error because they added to infinitive before the verb+ing form. The use of “to infinitive” after verb in these sentences is not correct because the action of these sentences is in general sense. It does not refer to one particular Universitas Sumatera Utara action. Thomson and Martinet 1969:155 state that the gerund can be used instead of the infinitive when the action is being considered in a general sense. I think the students do not know the difference of using infinitive and gerund. There are certain verbs can be followed by gerund and infinitive with no or little difference meaning. It is important to understand the sentence form whether it is general or refers to one particular action. b. Addition of “ed” Original Sentence Reconstruction 29. Alice always avoid answered my questions. Alice always avoid answering my questions. Related to the sample above, the type of error is addition error because the students added “ed” to “answer”. This addition make the sentence look like past verb form. “Avoid” must be followed by verb+ing form because they are preceded by verbs that always followed by gerund. I think the factor of the students producing this error is because they do not understand the use of verb+ing after certain verbs. c. Addition of A rticle “a” Original Sentence Reconstruction

30. I think your hair needs a

shampoo I think your hair needs shampooing Related to the sample above, the use of article “a” is not proper with the sentence structure . There must be “shampooing” after the verb “need” because “shampoo” in this sentence is a verb, it is not a noun. Universitas Sumatera Utara Automatically, it must be added –ing to make it become a verbal noun gerund. We cannot use two verbs together. One of the verbs must be in gerund or infinitive. And in this sample, “shampoo” must be in gerund form because the sentence is in general sense. d. Addition of “s” Original Sentence Reconstruction 31. Her daughter prefers reads science fiction book Her daughter prefers reading science fiction book Related to the sample above, the verb “reads” is after verb “prefers” and both of them are singular form by adding “s” to the second verb. This sentence is totally wrong. We cannot use two verbs together. One of the verbs must be in gerund or infinitive. In this sample, the second verb must be in gerund form because this sentence is in general sence. T he suffix “s” in second verb must not appear because the second verb must be added “ing”. I think the students are still confused in using gerund after certain verbs.

3. Misinformation Error

Misformation error is characterized by the use of the wrong form of the morphemes or structure. There are 126 misinformation errors in using gerund as subject made by the students. a. Misinformation of verb Original Sentence Reconstruction Universitas Sumatera Utara

32. They like buy something

as dress,t-shirt, etc 33. I think your hair needs shampoo . 34. The students do not mind do the test in 10 minutes. They like buying something such as dress,t-shirt, etc. I think your hair needs shampooing The students do not mind doing the test in 10 minutes. Related to the samples above, the type of error is misinformation. Misinformation occurs because the students used the wrong verb+ing forms. The use of “buy”, “shampoo”, and “do” are not in correct form based on their function in those sentences. They are preceded by a verb, it means that they must be in gerund or infinitive form. Based on the verbs precede them, they must be added suffix –ing to make them become noun. The verb “mind” can be directly followed by gerund. Thomson and Martinet 1969:161 states that “mind” can be directly followed by gerund, in which case the gerund refers to the subject. This error might occurs because of the students’ lack of knowledge in using gerund after certain verbs. b. Misinformation of to infinitive Original Sentence Reconstruction

35. Everybody like to go

shopping

36. She love to spent a day

with her friends buying unimportant things Everybody likes going shopping She loves spending a day with her friends buying unimportant things Related on the samples above, the use of to infinitive is not in correct form. It is because the sentences are not conditional sentence. For example: Universitas Sumatera Utara Would you like to come with me or would you prefer to stay here? I’d love to come with you. I’d hate to spend all my life here. Thomson and Martinet 1969:162 states that Love, like enjoy, hate, prefer when used in conditional sentence are followed by infinitive but when used in the present or past they usually followed by the gerund. This error might occur beca use of the students’ lack of knowledge about the use of infinitive and gerund as direct object.

4. Misordering error

Misordering error is the incorrect placement of a morpheme or group of morphemes in an utterance. There is 37 misordering error in using gerund as direct object. a. Misordering of Verb+ing Original Sentence Reconstruction

37. If you want to shopping,

you must be had preparing for your purpose there.

38. Women shopping 3-5 times

per-week If you want to shop, you must prepare yourself for your purpose there Women shop 3-5 times per-week. Related to the samples above, the students used the verb+ing form in wrong order. These two sentences above do not need verb+ing. The sample number 37 does not need verb+ing but to infinitive. The sample number 38 also does not verb+ing because a subject must be followed by a verb, not a noun. Some of the students do not understand the use of verb+ing so that they put it in the wrong order. Universitas Sumatera Utara Original Sentence Reconstruction

39. They can shopping in a

long time

40. Sometime they watching

cinema They can shop in a long time Sometimes they watch cinema Based on the samples above, the type of error is misordering error. It is because the students put the verb+ing in the wrong order. The verb+ing in these samples must not appear because one of them is preceded by a modal “can”. I think the students do not know the use of gerund well.

4.2.3. Kinds of Errors in Using Gerund as Subjective Complement