Kinds of Error in Using Past Tense

CHAPTER IV ANALYSIS AND FINDINGS

4.1 Data Analysis

This chapter contain of the tabulation and the analysis of errors made by the eleventh grade students of SMK Teladan Sumatera Utara 1. The main sources of data in this study were personal narrative text written by accountancy students of SMK Teladan Sumatera Utara 1. The students were asked to write personal narrative text, in about 60 minutes, telling about their experience during holiday. Based on surface strategy taxonomy, errors are classified into four types; omission, addition, misformation, and misordering. Grammatical competence is one of the several competences that the students have to master to be proficient in a certain language. In grammar, tenses hold an important point. Every kind of tenses has their own functions.

4.1.1 Kinds of Error in Using Past Tense

1 Omission errors Omission errors are characterized by the absence of items that must be present in a well-formed utterance. a. Omission of auxiliary This table shows the samples of omission of auxiliary “did”. Error Sentences Reconstruction 1 We not celebrate the Christmas in the village. We did not celebrate the Christmas in the village. 2 I was so sad because my grandmother not visit our house. I was so sad because my grandmother could not visit our house. Through comparing the error sentences and reconstructions, it can be seen that the students made errors. The error of those sentences is called “omission”, the students omitted “did” and “could” that must appear in those sentences. The omitting of “did” and “could” in those sentences is not proper to the sentence structure. I think that the students made error because they have not understood yet the formula of past tense. b. Omission of suffix “ed” This table shows the samples of omission of suffix “ed” Error Sentences Reconstruction 3 We visit the museum before we continue our trip again. We visited the museum before we continued our trip again. 4 I listen to the music from my computer. I listened to the music from my computer. 5 My Father arrive in Medan on December 24 th , 2014. My Father arrived in Medan on December 24 th , 2014. 6 During holiday, I just stay at home because I was sick. During holiday, I just stayed at home because I was sick. 7 So I just celebrate Christmas and new year with my mother and my sister also my nephew at home. So I just celebrated Christmas and new year with my mother and my sister also my nephew at home. By looking the table, it can be seen clearly that the sample sentences have errors, and the type of error is omission. The students omitted suffix “ed” is used for the past regular verb and it is proper the sentences that must be in verb+ed form. The students used “listen” instead of “listened” to show an activity in the past. I personally think that they make those errors because lack of understanding about form of verb tense c. Omission of “to be” This table shows the samples of omission of “to be”. Error Sentences Reconstruction 8 We very happy and enjoyed the holiday We were very happy and enjoyed the holiday 9 I just stayed at home because I sick I just stayed at home because I was sick Related to the sample above, we can see that the omission of to be “were and was” is not correct. The adjective must be added by the proper “to be”. The omission error happens because the students omitted the “to be”, while it must appear in those sentences. It might occur because the students do not understand well about how to put to be in a sentence. d. Omission of “ing” This table shows the samples of omission of “ing”. Error Sentences Reconstruction 10 They were sing in the church last night. They were singing in the church last night 11 My uncle was give me a gift in my birthday. My uncle was giving me a gift in my birthday. Grammatically, they were sing in the church last night is not correct, because the sentence omit “-ing” that should be put after the verb “sing”. The omitting of “ing” in those sentences is not proper to the sentence structure. To correct sentence above is by adding suffix “ing”, the students used “sing” instead of “singing”. Furthermore, it is the same with the second sample above. This error might occur because the students do not understand the use of suffix “ing” well. 2 Addition errors Addition errors are the opposite of mission errors. They are characterized by the presence of an item which must not be present in a well-formed utterance.. a. Addition of “ed” This table shows the samples of addition “ed” Error Sentences Reconstruction 12 I readed my my book while in the bus. I read my my book while in the bus. 13 I meeted my family in Siantar I met my family in Siantar The error sentences also become grammatically incorrect because they added “ed” for “read”. “Read” must not be added by “ed” because it is an irregular verb, thus the verb does not change into the other form or added by “ed”. Most verbs are regular, but many common verbs have irregular past form. This error occurs because of the students’ lack of knowledge in using suffix “ed” well. b. Addition of “to be” This table shows the samples of addition of “tobe” Error Sentences Reconstruction 14 My mother was made some cakes in my sister’s house My mother made some cakes in my sister’s house 15 I was bought a beautiful red wallet for my mom I bought a beautiful red wallet for my mom 16 I am went to village. I went to village. Related to the samples above, addition errors occur because the students added to be “was, were” that must not appear in those sentences. To make those sentences above become correct sentences, they must delete to be in those sentences. Be careful, the simple past in English may look like a tense in our own language, but the meaning may be different. It implies that the error happened because the students lack understands about how to use to be properly. 3 Misinforamtion Errors Misformation errors are characterized by the use of the unacceptable forms of the morphemes or structure. While in omission errors the item is not supplied at all. In misformation errors the learner supplies something, although it is incorrect. a. Misformation of Irregular Verb This table shows the samples of misformation of irregular verb. Error Sentences Reconstruction 17 Time so fast by gone and come back home in the evening Time so fast by gone and came back home in the evening. 18 We go to the church at night. We went to the church at night. 19 I buy souvenir from Samosir to my friends. I bought souvenir from Samosir to my friends. Related to the samples above, the type of error is misformation. Misformation occurs because the students used the wrong word forms. Unlike regular verbs, irregular verbs do not follow a pattern. You must memorize each of them. The changed forms of these verbs are often unrecognizably different from the originals, such as: “Go – Went” and “Buy – Bought”. There is no way to tell what form an irregular verb is going to take in a change tense, the only option for an English speaker is to commit the changes to memory. I assume that the students in Indonesia commonly make errors in using past tense because there are some differences between Bahasa Indonesia and English when we talk about something in the past. In English, if we want to talk about something in the past, we do not only put the adverbs of time, but also change the verbs into past form. b. Misformation of “to be” This table shows the samples of misformation of to be. Error Sentences Reconstruction 20 I am very happy during holiday I was very happy during holiday 21 We are singing all day in my house We were singing all day in my house Comparing between the error sentences and reconstruction, it is clear that the student are not so careful to determine what tense should be used in the sentence. The students used the wrong form of to be in past tense. They did not changed to be for simple past tense in those sentences. In the error sentence, the students used the wrong form of to be “am, are” as to be, the students should changed it into “was, were”. The learners usually face difficulties in learning the grammatical aspect of the Target Language TL. This error might occur because of the students’ lack of knowledge in using To Be in simple past tense well. c. Misformation of “auxiliary” This table shows the samples of misformation of “auxiliary”. Error Sentences Reconstruction 22 Because tomorrow morning I will go to school. Because tomorrow morning I would go to school. 23 After that, we have rest for waiting the night of new year. After that, we had rest for waiting the night of new year. 24 Our grandmother can embroider since she was young. Our grandmother could embroider since she was young. The table shows that there are errors in using auxialiary, the students used the wrong form of auxiliary use. The auxiliaries “will”, “have”, and “can” are not in the correct form based on their function as the auxiliary of sentence. To make them proper with the structure of the sentence, there must be “would”, “had”, and “could”. Auxiliaries are helping verbs that express a wide range of meanings ability, permission, possibility, necessity, etc., thus most of the modals have more than one meaning. I think the errors occur because the students do not understand the use of auxiliary in simple past tense well. d. Misformation of “change into negative - form”. This table shows the samples of misformation of “change into negative - form”. Error Sentences Reconstruction 25 We didn’t went to the beach. We didn’t go to the beach. 26 I was sick, so I didn’t visited the party. I was sick, so I didn’t visit the party. Related to the sample above, the students produced error because they used the wrong form in negative sentences. The students still did not understand or they were likely confused with the change from the positive + into negative sentence -. We can see that the students used the wrong verb “went” instead of “go” and “visited” instead of “visit”. I think the students made this error because their lack of knowledge in changing the verb. 4 Misordering Errors The incorrect placement of a morpheme or group of morphemes in an utterance characterized misordering error. Misordering occur systematically for both L1 and L2 learners. a. Misordering error. This table shows the sample of misoredering Error Sentence Reconstruction 27 I went to home my family’s I went to my family’s house Related to the sample above the error made by the student is caused by the wrong place in a sentence. The students unable to arrange the word into a good sentence well. I think this error occurs because the students are confused how to make a good sentence.

4.1.2 Kinds of Error in Using Adjective