4.2. Analysis and Finding 4.2.1. Kinds of Errors in Using Gerund as Subject
Gerund as subject is one of gerund funtions. According to Stilman 1992:55, as a subject of a sentence, it basically has characteristics such as verb
+ ing, in front of predicate, and meaningful as a noun. There are 56 errors in using gerund as subject made by the students. The errors consist of omission,
addition, misinformation 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 37 errors of omitting items in
gerund as subect found in data. a.
Omission of “ing”
This table shows the samples for omission of “ing”
Original Sentence Reconstruction
1. Swear does not prove
anything.
2. Be a boss made Jacob feel
uneasy.
3. Go
to nearest market or supermall to buy a goods.
Swearing does not prove anything
Being
a boss made Jacob feel uneasy.
Going
to the nearest market or supermall to buy goods.
Related on the samples above, the students omitted the suffix -ing that must appear in those sentences. The omitting of “ing” in those
sentences is not proper to the sentence structure. A sentence must consists of at least a subject and a predicate Rhomdony, 2007:112. There are no
subjects in the sentences above, but verbs. A subject must be a nounpronoun. Gerund is a noun derives from a verb added by
–ing. It can functions as a subject. The correct subject form in the sentences above is
by adding suffix-ing to the verbs in front of the sentences in order that they become noun and can be used as subjects of sentence.
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This error might occurs because the students do not know the use of verb- ing form as subject well.
b. Omission of Consonant Letter “p”
This table shows the sample of omission of consonant letter “p”.
Original Sentence Reconstruction
4. Shoping
is a activities is not so interesting.
Shopping
is not an interesting
activity.
Related to the sample above, the type of error is omission. The student used
“shoping” instead of “shopping”. The omitting of consonant letter
“p” in the original sentences makes the sentence error. “Shoping” is not an English word and has no meaning.
The error occurs because the student get interference in using double consonant letter to certain verbs if they get addition of ed or ing.
The final single consonant letter that stands after a short stressed vowel is doubled before adding ed or ing.
http:usefulenglish.ruwritingadding- endings-ed-ing-to-verbs
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2. Addition Error
