Finite Analysis MOOD and Modality Analysis Realizing Interpersonal Meaning
4.1.3.1 Simple Past
Simple past is used to state about completed actions in time before now or in the past time. The actions were started in the past and ended in the past. As the
table shows above, the most frequent clauses in students‘ recount texts used finite simple past, total of finite simple past in all students‘ recount texts are 461 of 629
finites in all texts, and the frequency is 73,3. Some examples related to simple past are listed below.
1 After that we prayed in a mosque. cl.7, text 3
2 After that we went
to Ka‘bah. cl.10, text 4 The researcher only took 2 examples of simple past clauses that were
taken randomly from the students‘ texts, there are still many examples of simple past clauses see appendix 2. As we can see from the examples above, the verbs
in the students‘ recount texts that indicate past tense are prayed and went. We can find this finite mostly occurred in all the texts. Finite simple past signals about
past time. The students retold about their personal experiences in the past time. Most of them told about their holiday experiences in the past, they stated their
experiences certainly without doubt because the experiences had already happened.
4.1.3.2 Simple Present
Simple present is used to state actions, facts, or habits which happens regularly, true or normal. This finite states present time, so it is proper to describe
something or someone. The table shows that there are some clauses in the students‘ recount texts used simple present. Total of simple present tense is 129,
and the frequency is 20,51 in the students‘ recount texts. Below are some examples of them.
1 It’s on Jepara city. cl. 2, text 2
In this clause, th e student gave information about place. The word ‗It‘ refers
to Kartini beach that was stated in the previous clause see appendix 1. So, the clause stated about a fact that Kartini beach is on Jepara city.
2 The driver is handsome and cool. cl.4, text 4
In this clause, the student described someone that is ‗the driver is handsome and cool‘. The clause is in the form of description that is a true fact, so it is
proper to use finite simple present in the clause. 3
After that, we sleep. cl.16, text 4 In this clause, the student retold an action that has been completely done, but
the student used finite simple present in the clause. It should be ‗After that, we
slept’, because the sentences or clauses stated about something that has been done completely in the past.
4 I‘m so happy. cl.17, text 5
In this clause, the students used finite simple present, whereas the clause retold about something that has been completely done in the past. The student
should use finite simple past, so the clause should be ‗I was so happy‘, because the happiness was felt in the past time.
There are still many clauses used finite simple present in the students‘ recount texts, but the researcher only took 4 examples to discuss. The Finite
simple present give signal of present time, the events are done in present time. Meanwhile, recount text is a text which tells about past events, so they should
used finite simple past in their recount texts. Finite simple present can be used if the events in form of present time, or the students described about habit, true facts,
or daily activities that are always done by the students. But, if the students retold about some events that were completely done in the past, they should use finite
simple past. So, the clauses number 1 and 2 in the examples above are correct if they used
finite simple present, because they stated about facts, but in clauses number 3 and 4 are incorrect because they used finite simple present to retell the past events that
were completely done in the past. There are still many examples of simple present tense in the students‘ recount texts. It is estimated that the students are still
confused in using finite; they did some errors in using finite simple past to compose some clauses or sentences in their recount texts.
4.1.3.3 Modal
Modal is a special verb that behaves irregularly. There are 5 types of modal; those are modal verb, modal adverbial, modal adjectival, modal noun, and
modal clause and phrase. The researcher found that there are some students who used modality in their recount texts. As the table shows above, the total of modal
is 9 and the percentage is 1,43. For further analysis about modal, the researcher has made the explanation in modality analysis.
In addition, as the table shows above, there are also some non finite clauses which were found in the students‘ recount texts, the total of non finite
clauses are 30, and the percentage is 4,77 in the students‘ recount texts. Most of the students missed in using finite, so there are still some clauses which didn‘t
have finite, and they were categorized as non finite clauses. Some examples of the non finite clauses are:
1 When I done swimming. cl.11, text 7
2 As in panjang island, my big family and I around island. cl.16, text 10
The examples above show the non finite clau ses in different students‘
recount texts. There are still 24 clauses from other students‘ recount texts which were categorized as non finite clauses. Most of them missed in using finite, so it
made their clauses ungrammatical.