Background of the Study

1

CHAPTER 1 INTRODUCTION

A. Background of the Study

Language is a human system of communication. It uses arbitrary signals, such as voice sounds, gestures, or written symbols. Not only a language consists of symbols that convey meaning, but also rules for combining those symbols, that can be used to generate an infinite variety of messages. According to Walt Withman, ―language is not an abstract construction of the learned, or of dictionary makers, but something arising out of the work, needs, ties, joys, affections, tastes, of long generations of humanity, and has its bases broad and low, close to the ground ‖. 1 English has been grown rapidly for the past century. English has become the second language for the most people in the world, and become foreign language being taught in school for most countries in the world, including Indonesia. Moreover, English has begun to be taught in Indonesia as foreign language since Dutch colonial period. But, English formally taught in Indonesia as a subject in curriculum is in 1967‘s curriculum. Since then, teaching English has been changed many times along with the change in politic, the growth of technology and economic, and many other factors. 2 One of the important aspects of language is grammar. Like in other languages, in English, grammar is the key of good writing. Using proper grammar can avoid misunderstanding while communicating and expressing an idea. Grammar needs to be taught effectively in school because it is the foundation to support the language. Although grammar alone is not a means to master a 1 Wayne Weiten, Psychology: Themes And Variations, 7th ed. Thomson Wadsworth, 2007. 2 http:manusiasuper.wordpress.com20110609sejarahinggrisindonesia , retrieved on January, 1 st 2013 language, it is still an integral tenet of language in order to bridge the gap between mere ideas and the actual delivery of the message. 3 By having enough knowledge of grammar, students will be able to solve their problems in expressing their ideas into writing and communication activities. One of many aspects in English grammar that is taught in vocational school and senior high school in Indonesia is verb-ing form. When the writer has been conducting Praktek Profesi Keguruan Terpadu PPKT in vocational school, she found that the second year students of vocational school still have problems or make errors in using verb-ing forms. They often made a mistake when they differentiated verb-ing forms as a gerund, and a participle. It usually happened because they did not know how to identify ‗a noun‘, ‗an adjective‘, or even ‗a verb‘ in a sentence in which a gerund and a participle can be differentiate with it. They also made mistakes using both in sentences. In bahasa Indonesia, they did not tend to pay attention in identifying a noun, a verb, an adjective, etc in a sentence because they use bahasa Indonesia unconsciously. Here is the example: Play badminton is very entertain. This sentence is wrong. The correct one is „playing badminton is very entertaining‟. Most students, when they were asked to which one is gerund and which one is participle between „playing and entertaining‟ did not know which one. Based on the example, the writer wants to know the causes of their errors. According to Micheal Swan, ―when –ing forms are used as verbs, adjectives, or adverbs, they often called ‗present participles‘. When they are used more like nouns, they are often called ‗gerunds‘. In fact, the distinction is not really as 3 http:www.bookfresh.comresourcesarticlegrammar-for-english-language-teachers , retrieved on January, 1 st 2013 simple as this, and some grammarians prefer to avoid the terms ‗participle‘ and ‗gerund‘‖. 4 Based on the statement above, the writer would like to take “An Error Analysis in Using the Verb- ing Forms”, A Case Study at the Eleventh Year Students of SMA Darul Muttaqin as her ‗skripsi‘‘s title.

B. Identification of the Problem