• The item: My brother isn’t old enough to drive, but he wishes he ____ now.”
A. had been
B. will be
C. is
D. were
E. are
From table 1 above the writer finds 26 students cannot answer the question correctly. Here the analysis:
The right answer is option D were. From the data has been gathered, this is what exactly happens; 9 students no 1, 12, 16, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 24
30 choose option A had been, 7 students 5, 10, 11, 23, 25, 29, 30 23 choose option B will be, 10 students no 2, 3, 6, 7, 8, 9, 13, 14, 15, 28 33
choose is. This is the common error because they might think that the subject he has concord with is. It same as the item number 3 above, 4 students no 4,
17, 26, 27 13 choose option D were, it is present subjunctive with were,
the item means that in fact my brother is still young to drive, therefore, he has some possibilities—forbidden to drive because still young or he can not drive.
The last no one chooses option E are. This choice is absolutely incorrect because it doesn’t have correlation with subjunctive because there is no
pattern of the third person she, he and it have concord with predicate are. Both answers between had been and were are possible but the statement
above indicates to present subjunctive, the subjunctive is were.
5. Question 7 Present Subjunctive
• The purposes: -
to measure the students’ ability of present subjunctive -
to find out the problems faced by the students • Indicators:
- the students know the pattern of present subjunctive
- the students know the difference between present and past
subjunctive -
the students know the fact sentence of present subjunctive • The item:
Hamid has won a medal for swimming. I wish I _____as good as he is.
A. were
B. should be
C. will be
D. am
E. can be
From table 1 above the writer finds 28 students can not answer the question correctly. Here the analysis:
The right answer is option A were. From the data has been gathered, this is what exactly happens; 2 students no 2, 3 choose option A were. They
choose it correctly it is present subjunctive with were, in fact I am not as good as Hamid is,
7 students no 16, 21, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28 23 choose option B should be, 3 students no 10, 15, 22, 10 choose option C will be. It
should appear at conditional sentence type I or simple future tense, one student no 20 chooses option D am. He chooses it because she might think
that the predicate or concord of I is am. It is true in simple present but in subjunctive whatever the subject, the predicate is were or had been. And the
last, there are 17 students no 1, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 11, 12, 13, 14, 23, 29, 30 56
choose can be. This choice has same meaning as will be. Hoping something
happens, it indicates to conditional sentence not subjunctive.
6. Question 9 Present Subjunctive
