THE CORRELATION BETWEEN STUDENTS’ SIMPLE PRESENT TENSE MASTERY AND THEIR ABILITY IN WRITING DESCRIPTIVE TEXT AT THE FIRST SEMESTER OF THE EIGHTH GRADE OF SMPN 1 KARYA PENGGAWA PESISIR BARAT IN 20162017 ACADEMIC YEAR

A Thesis

Submitted as a Partial Fulfillment of The Requirement for S1-Degree

By EVI FITRIA NPM. 1211040102

Study Program : English Education

Advisor : Bambang Irfani, M. Pd Co-Advisor : Nunun Indrasari, M.Pd

TARBIYAH AND TEACHER TRAINING FACULTY THE STATE INSTITUTE OF ISLAMIC STUDIES

RADEN INTAN LAMPUNG 2016

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THE FIRST SEMESTER OF THE EIGHTH GRADE OF SMPN 1 KARYA PENGGAWA PESISIR BARAT IN 2016/2017 ACADEMIC YEAR

By: Evi Fitria

In this research, the writer focused on the correlation between students’ simple present tense mastery and their ability in writing descriptive text. The objective of this research was to know whether there was a correlation between students’ simple present tense mastery and their ability in writing descriptive text at the first semester of the eighth grade of SMPN 1 Karya Penggawa Pesisir Barat in 2016/2017 academic year. There were two variables in this research, the independent variable, students’ simple present tense mastery (X) and dependent variable, students’ ability in writing descriptive text (Y).

This is a correlation research. It is used to know the correlation between students’ simple present tense mastery and their ability in writing descriptive text. In taking the sample of the research, cluster random sampling was applied. The population of the research was taken from the students of eighth grade at SMPN 1 Karya Penggawa Pesisir Barat in 2016/2017 academic year. The sample of the research was taken 30 students from 121 population. In collecting the data of this research, the writer used objective test that were multiple choices consisted of 40 items test and writing descriptive text test. In this research, SPSS was used to compute Rank Spearmans’ formula.

After doing the hypothetical testing, the result demonstrated that there was positive correlation between students’ simple present tense mastery and their ability in writing descriptive text. Based on the data analysis computed by using SPSS, it was obtained that Sig = 0,001 and α = 0.05. It means that Ha is accepted because Sig < α = 0.05. Based on this research, it was suggested that to have a good ability in writing descriptive text, students should have a good mastery of simple present tense.

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Tense Mastery and their Ability in Writing Descriptive Text at the First Semester of the Eighth Grade of SMPN 1 Karya Penggawa Pesisir Barat in 2016/2017 Academic

Year” is completely my own work, I am fully aware that I have quoted some

statement and theories from various sources and they are properly acknowledged in the text.

Bandar Lampung, 20 October 2016 Declared by,

Evi Fitria

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“Say : Nun. By pen and what they inscribe, you are not [ O Muhammad ] by the favor

of your lord a madman. And indeed for you is a reward uninterrupted. And indeed

you are of a great moral character.”1

1 _{Ayatal-quran.net/2016/08/surah-al-qalam-the-cave-terjemah-bahasa-inggris, Retrieved on} October 25th_{, 2016}

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1. My beloved parents, Mr. Mat Halim and Mrs. Mursyidah who have already prayed and supported for my success, and advised me all the time.

2. My beloved brothers, Ilham Aripin, Rizki Sanjaya, and Pegi Ramadan who always motivate me to succeed.

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She is the first child of Mr. Mat Halim and Mrs. Mursyidah. She has three brothers. She lives at Jalan Lintas Bengkulu Kelurahan Way Sindi, Kecamatan Karya Penggawa, Pesisir Barat.

The writer began her study in Elementary School at SDN 1 Way Sindi Pesisir Barat in 2000 and graduated in 2006. She continued her study in Junior High School at SMPN 1 Karya Penggawa Pesisir Barat and Graduated in 2009. After that, she continued her study to MAN 1 Krui Pesisir Barat and graduated in 2012. After finishing her study in MAN, she decided to study in English Education Program of Tarbiyah and Teacher Training Faculty of State Institute of Islamic Studies Raden Intan Lampung.

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blessing and mercy given to the writer during her study and in completing this final project. Then, the best wishes and salutation be upon the great messenger prophet Muhammad S.A.W

This thesis presented to the English Education study program of IAIN Raden Intan Lampung. The primary aim of writng this thesis is to fulfill a part of students’ task in partial fulfillment of the requirement to obtain S1-degree.

For that reason, the writer would like to thank the following people for their ideas, time and guidance for this thesis:

1. Dr. H. Chairul Anwar, M.Pd, the Dean of Faculty of Tarbiyah and Teacher Training and his staff who have given and opportunity and the help for the writer when on going the study until the accomplishment of this thesis.

2. Meisuri, M.Pd, the Chairwoman of English Education Study Program of IAIN Raden Intan Lampung who has given help to complete this thesis.

3. Bambang Irfani, M.Pd, the advisor who patiently guided the writer until the completion of this thesis.

4. Nunun Indrasari, M.Pd, the co-advisor has guided the writer a lot until the finishing of this thesis.

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Melda Wati S.Pd, the English teacher, all administration staff and the eighth grade students of SMPN 1 Karya Penggawa Pesisir Barat for allowing her to carry out the research in their institution.

7. Her beloved father, Mr. Mat Halim and mother, Mrs. Mursyidah, as well as her beloved brother for their support, love, and everything that she cannot tell all in words.

8. Her beloved friends, especially friends in class D who gave greately contribution toward the completion of this thesis.

Finally, the writer is fully aware that there are still a lot of weaknesses in this thesis. For this, the writer truthfully expects criticism and suggestion from the readers to enchance the quality of the thesis.

Bandar Lampung, 20 October 2016 The Writer

Evi Fitria

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

Page

COVER ... i

ABSTRACT ... ii

APPROVAL ... iii

ADMISSION ... iv

DECLARATION ... v

MOTTO ... vi

DEDICATION ... v

CURRICULUM VITAE ... vi

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT ... vii

TABLE OF CONTENTS ... ix

LIST OF TABLES ... xii

LIST OF FIGURE ... xiii

LIST OF APPENDICES ... xiv

CHAPTER I INTRODUCTION A. Background of the Problem ... 1

B. Identification of the Problem ... 7

C. Limitation of the Problem ... 7

D. Formulation of the Problem ... 7

E. Purpose of the Research ... 8

F. Use of the Research ... 8

G. Scope of the Research... 9

1. Subject of the Research ... 9

2. Object of the Research ... 9

3. Time of the Research ... 9

4. Place of the Research... 9

CHAPTER II REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE A. Concept of Teaching and Learning English as a Foreign Language ... 10

B. Concept of Grammar ... 12

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D. Concept of Simple Present Tense ... 16

1. Definition of Simple Present Tense ... 16

2. Use of Simple Present Tense... 17

3. Form of Simple Present Tense ... 19

4. Time Signal of Simple Present Tense ... 21

5. Simple Present Tense Mastery ... 22

E. Concept of Writing ... 23

1. Definition of Writing... 23

2. Writing Process ... 24

3. Writing Ability ... 25

F. Concept of Text ... 27

1. Kind of Text ... 29

G. Concept of Descriptive Text ... 32

1. Definition of Descriptive Text ... 32

2. Generic Structure ... 33

3. Linguistics Features ... 34

4. Descriptive Text Writing Ability ... 34

H. Frame of Thinking ... 35

I. Hypothesis ... 36

CHAPTER III RESEARCH METHODOLOGY A. Research Design. ... 37

B. Variable of Research ... 38

C. Operational Definition of Variable ... 38

D. Population, Sample, and SamplingTechnique ... 39

1. Population ... 39

2. Sample ... ..40

3. Sampling Technique ... 40

E. Data Collecting Technique ... 41

F. Try Out ... 41

G. Instrument of the Research ... 42

H. Scoring Procedure ... 46

I. Research Procedure ... 46

J. Validity, Reliability, and Readability of the Test ... 48

1. Validity of the Test ... 48

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3. Readability of the Test... 53

K. Data Analysis ... 53

1. Prerequisite Test ... 53

a. Normality Test ... 53

b. Linearity Test ... 54

2. Hypothetical Test... 55

CHAPTER IV RESULT AND DISCUSSION A. Findings ... 57

1. Data Analysis... 57

2. Result of the Test ... 57

a. Result of Simple Present Tense Mastery Test ... 57

b. Result of Writing Descriptive Text ... 59

3. Result of Data Analysis ... 61

a. Result of Normality Test ... 61

b. Result of Linearity Test ... 63

c. Result of Hypothetical Test ... 63

B. Discussion ... 65

CHAPTER V CONCLUSION AND SUGGESTION A. Conclusion ... 70

B. Suggestion ... 70 REFERENCES

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Table 1 Students’ Score of Writing Descriptive Text ... 4

Table 2 Students’ Score of Simple Present Tense ... 6

Table 3 The Scoring of Writing work by Tribble ... 26

Table 4 Population of Students ... 39

Table 5 Specification of Try Out Test of Simple Present Tense Mastery ... 43

Table 6 Specification Test of Simple Present Tense Mastery... 44

Table 7 Criteria of Reliability ... 52

Table 8 Normality of Simple Present Tense Mastery ... 62

Table 9 Normality of Writing Descriptive Text ... 62

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Figure 1 Result of Simple Present Tense Mastery Test ... 58 Figure 2 Result of Writing Descriptive Text Test ... 60

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Appendix 1 Result of Interview for English Teacher ... 77

Appendix 2 Result of Interview for English Students ... 78

Appendix 3 Syllabus ... 83

Appendix 4 Instrument of Try out Simple Present Tense Mastery Test ... 89

Appendix 5 Instrument of Simple Present Tense Mastery Test ... 98

Appendix 6 Instrument Writing Descriptive Text Test... 105

Appendix 7 Scoring Writing by Tribble ... 106

Appendix 8 Validation Form for Simple Present Tense Mastery ... 107

Appendix 9 Validation Form for Writing Descriptive Text ... 108

Appendix 10 Result of Reliability Test ... 109

Appendix 11 Instrument of Readability Test ... 113

Appendix 12 Result of Readability Test ... 114

Appendix 13 Students’ Name of Try Out ... 115

Appendix 14 Students’ Name of Sample ... 116

Appendix 15 Score of Try Out Simple Present Tense Mastery ... 117

Appendix 16 Score of Simple Present Tense Mastery Test ... 118

Appendix 17 Score of Writing Descriptive Text ... 119

Appendix 18 Recapitulation Analysis Items Try Out Simple Present Tense ... 120

Appendix 19 Recapitulation Analysis Items of Simple Present Tense Mastery ... 124

Appendix 20 Descriptive Statistics for Simple Present Tense Mastery ... 128

Appendix 21 Descriptive Statistics for Writing Descriptive Text ... 129

CHAPTER I INTRODUCTION A. Background of the Problem

Language is important in human life, people use language for communication between one and another and also it is used to deliver message or ideas from the speaker to the listener in interaction among themselves or with the environment. Without language it is impossible for people or everyone to join interaction each other in daily life or in learning something and also the human activities could not run without language. Every country has a different language, we need an international language for communication around the world.

English is one of international languages which is used throughout the world and also English used in many fields of life such as: in politics, economics, sosial and education. Therefore, English as a language in international communication is clearly needed by many learners to deliver thought or idea in variety of situation.

In Indonesia, English is a foreign language that is taught formally from junior high school through university level as a compulsory subject. According to Setiyadi, “teaching the target language is seen as a mental discipline even though it is often

claimed that the goal of the language teaching is to be able to read literature in this original form.1

The goal of teaching and learning English is to make the students master English skills. There are four English skills namely, speaking, reading, listening, and writing, that should be mastered by the students. Writing is a psychological activity of the language user to put information in the writing text.2 The written productive language skill is called writing. It is skill of a writer to communicate information to a reader or group of readers. Her or his skill is also realized by his or her ability to apply the rules of the language s/he is writing to transfer information s/he has in her or his mind to her or his readers(s) effectively.3

Writing is a process of communication which uses conventional; graphic system to convey a message to reader. For many of foreign language learners, writing is considered as the most difficult skill because in writing they have to combine the correct grammatical and also the coherence of the paragraph.4

In writing there are many kinds of text. One of the texts is descriptive text. Descriptive text is a text which is intended to describe a particular person, place or

1_{Ag. Bambang Setiyadi, Teaching English as a Foreign Language, (Yogyakarta: Graha Ilmu,} 2006), p. 32

2_{Sanggam Siahaan, Issues In Linguistics (1}st _{Ed), (Yogyakarta: Graha Ilmu, 2007), p. 215} 3_{Sanggam Siahaan, The English Paragraph (1}st _{Ed), (Yogyakarta: Graha Ilmu, 2008), p. 2} 4_{Sanggam Siahaan, Generic Text Structure (1}st _{Ed), (Yogyakarta: Graha Ilmu, 2008), p. 3}

thing.5 It means descriptive text is a kind of text with a purpose to give information about particular person, place or thing. “it differs from report which describes things, animals, persons, or others in general. The social function of descriptive text is to describe a particular person, place, or thing”.6 _{It can be concluded that descriptive} text is a type of text which describe particular person, animal or thing and report text is a type of text which describe person, animal or thing in general.

Based on an interview with Melda Wati, S.Pd, as English Teacher in SMPN 1 Karya Penggawa Pesisir Barat in the preliminary research, she said that many students got difficulties when they describe something. They looked difficult to arrange words into sentences and becomes paragraph. They are just easy to describe something with a vocabulary not sentence structure.7 Furthermore, based on the observation at SMPN 1 Karya penggawa Pesisir Barat, the writer found that there are many students who still had low score of descriptive text. It is proven by the following data of writing test at the eight grade of SMPN 1 Karya Penggawa Pesisir Barat in 2016/2017 academic year. Whereas, the criteria of minimum mastery score (KKM) of the school is 75.

5_{Juanita Siahaan,} An Analysis of Students’ Ability and Difficulties in Writing Descriptive Text. Journal of Englis and Education. Vol.1.Issue 1. 2013, p.115, http://www.ejournal.upi.edu, retrieved on April 2nd_{, 2016}

6_{M Mursyid PW, English Learning Handout 2005, p. 4,} http://www.mmursyidpw.files.wordpress.com, retrieved on April 2nd_{, 2016}

7_{Melda Wati, The Result with Interview to the English Teacher of Eighth Grade, retrieved on} March 3rd_{, 2016, Unpublished}

Table 1

The Students’ Score of Descriptive Text Test at the Second Semester of the Seventh Grade of SMPN 1 Karya Penggawa Pesisir Barat in the Academic Year of 2015/2016

No. KKM The Number of Students Persentage

1. ≥70 48 39.67 %

2. <70 73 60.33 %

Total 121 100%

Source: Document of the Writing in Descriptive Text Score of Eighth Grade of SMPN 1 Karya Penggawa Pesisir Barat 2015/2016.

Based on the table above, it can be seen that more than 60 % descriptive text score of students was under the passing grade for English subject in SMPN 1 Karya Penggawa Pesisir Barat. There were only 48 students from 121 students who passed the criteria of minimum mastery (KKM). It shows that writing descriptive text ability of students in SMPN 1 Karya Penggawa Pesisir Barat in 2015/2016 academic year is still low.

In teaching and learning English as a foreign language it needs grammar to speak and write correctly. The students need grammar in order to make good sentence. Grammar is one of the components of language that must be mastered by the students to learn English, because the grammatical rules of Indonesian language are different from English. That is why, learning English grammar is very important to understand. Brown says that grammar is a system of rules governing the conventional arrangement and relationship of words in sentence.8 In other word grammar is one

8_{H. Douglas Brown, Teaching by Principles an Interactive Approach to Language Pedagogy} (2nd _{Ed), (New York: Longman, 1994), p. 347}

kind of language component that give explanation or rule about how to join of the words become a good sentence based on grammatical rule.9

Grammar is also called as organization words that are combined into sentences to express thought and feeling or to express of the idea in writing. In teaching English as foreign language, the students need to master grammar because by mastering grammar students will be able to speak and write English correctly. In mastering English grammar there are many rules and sentences that should be mastered by the students. One of sentences is simple present tense.

The simple present tense refers to action or situation that to do not change frequently. It is used to describe habits or routines, to express opinions, or to make genenral statements of fact, the simple present can also be used to refer to the future.10 It means that simple present tense is one kind of sentence that is used to the express daily activities and general statement. This sentence is used in descriptive text. As we know in descriptive text often use simple present tense formula. According to Juanita, Linguistic features of descriptive text are: use specific participant, written in present tense, use linking verbs, use adjective, use relational and material process.11

Based on the interview with some students, they said that they were still confused about tenses, the students still made many errors in using tenses. One of the tenses

9_Ibid.

10_{Patricia Werner, Mosaic 1 A Content-Based Grammar, (New York: McGraw-Hill, 1990), p.} 125

that was regarded difficult by them is simple present tense. They found difficulties to understand the subject verb agreement in simple present tense, the formula of simple present tense, and the rule of verb in simple present tense. In conclusion the students ability in simple present tense is still low.12 It can be seen in the table below:

Table 2

The Students’ Score of Simple present Tense Test at the Second Semester of the Seventh Grade of SMPN 1 Karya Penggawa Pesisir Barat in the Academic Year of 2015/2016

NO KKM The Number of Students Percentage

1 ≥70 37 30.58 %

2 <70 84 69.42 %

Total 121 100 %

Source: Document of the Simple Present Tense Score of Eighth Grade of SMPN 1 Karya Penggawa Pesisir Barat 2015/2016.

Based on the table above, it can be seen that 84 students got score of simple present tense lower that 70, and only 37 students that get score passed the KKM. Moreover, from the table above it can be seen that there were many students had still not understood about simple present tense. They faced difficulties in simple present tense. Based on the background, the writer conducted a research entitled “The Correlation Between Students’ Simple Present Tense Mastery and Their Ability in Writing Descriptive Text at the First Semester of the Eighth Grade of SMPN 1 Karya Penggawa Pesisir Barat in 2016/2017 Academic Year”

12Seventh Grade Students’, _{The Result with Interview to Students of Seventh Grade, retrieved} on March 3rd_{, 2016, Unpublished}

B. Identification of the Problem

Based on the problem above, the writer finds several problems as follows :

1. The students find difficulties to understand the subject verb agreement in simple present tense.

2. The students find difficulties to understand the formula of simple present tense.

3. The students find difficulties to understand the rule of the verb in simple present tense.

4. The students find difficulties in writing descriptive text correctly based on the grammatical rule.

5. The students find difficulties to arrange the sentence in writing descriptive text.

6. The students find difficulties to understand the generic structure of descriptive text.

C. Limitation of the Problem

In this research, the writer focuses on the correlation of students’ grammar mastery and their ability in writing. The grammar used was focused on the simple present tense mastery and writing was focused on the descriptive text.

D. Formulation of the Problem

Based on the background of the problem above, the writer makes a formulation of the problem as follows :

Is there a significant correlation between students’ simple present tense mastery and their ability in writing descriptive text at the first semester of the eighth grade of SMPN 1 Karya Penggawa Pesisir Barat in 2016/2017 Academic Year ?

E. Purpose of the Research

The purpose of this research is to know whether there is a correlation between students’ simple present tense mastery and their ability in writing descriptive text at the first semester of the eighth grade of SMPN 1 Karya Penggawa Pesisir Barat in 2016/2017 Academic Year.

F. Use of the Research

The uses of the research are as follows : 1. Theoretically

To give information to the readers about the correlation between students’ simple present tense mastery and their ability in writing descriptive at SMPN 1 Karya Penggawa Pesisir Barat.

2. Practically

a. For the students

The result of this research can motivate the students in learning English especially in simple present tense and descriptive text.

b. For the teachers

The result of this research can give information for the teachers about the correlation between students’ simple present tense mastery and their ability in descriptive text.

c. For the school

The result of this research is expected to be able to motivate the school to improve the quality of learning English.

G. Scope of the Research 1. Subject of the research

The subject of this research was the eighth grade students’ of SMPN 1 Karya Penggawa Pesisir Barat.

2. Object of the research

The object of this research was the correlation of students’ simple present tense mastery and their ability in writing descriptive text.

3. Place of the research

The research was conducted at SMPN 1 Karya Penggawa Pesisir Barat. 4. Time of the research

CHAPTER II

REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE

A. Concept of Teaching and Learning English as a Foreign Language

Since students use their mother language in their daily conversation, English teachers has essential role to make students understand and enjoy the material. It is necessary to make students comfort and enjoy in teaching and learning English. Language is the situation whereby humans communicate and interact with one another by means of habitually used oral auditory arbitory symbols. Many people use language to communicate each other in their daily life. Language is also used to express the idea as a share each people by using language through spoken and written form.

Language teaching is influenced by ideas on the nature language (language theories) and the learning conditions that make learners to acquire the language (learning theories).1 It means that English is different when English for communication and English for teaching materials and methods. These differences may influence in teaching English achievement.

Teaching is the process of showing or helping someone to learn how to do something, giving instructions, guiding in the study of something, providing with knowledge, and it is causing someone understand about something that learned.2 _{It describes that}

1_{Ag. Bambang Setiyadi, Teaching English as a Foreign Language, (Yogyakarta: Graha Ilmu,} 2006), p. 20

2_{H. Douglas Brown, Principles of Language Learning and Teaching (4}th _{Ed), (New York:} Addison Wesley Longman, 2000), p. 7

teaching is a process to help the learners for understanding something that learned. In this case the English teacher should be able to create a real situation that can be used to support learning and teaching process in order thet the students are able to use English naturally for communication. The students should be put into situation that they can use English for communication both in written and spoken forms.

Further, according to Harmer that English as a foreign language is generally taken to apply to students who are studying general English at schools and institutes in their own country or as transitory visitors in a target language country.3 Meanwhile, English generally has been learnt by the students since they were in the basic level of education. It means that English as a foreign language is important, and is needed to the English learner as a part their study in the school.

Based on the explanation above, it can be inferred that teaching English as a foreign language is the process for helping the students to learn English and make their understanding in learning process and do a lot of practice to master the English language. In teaching English, the teacher should be creative to make the students are interested in learning English as a foreign language.

B. Concept of Grammar

In teaching and learning English as a foreign language it needs grammar to speak and write correctly. The students need grammar in order to make good sentence. Grammar is one of the components of language that must be mastered by the students to learn English. Because the grammatical rules of Indonesian language are different from English. That is why, learning English grammar is very important to understand English teacher. Brown says that grammar is a system of rules governing the conventional arrangement and relationship of words in sentence.4 In other word grammar is one kind of language component that give explanation or rule about how to join the words become a good sentence based on grammatical rule.

The statement indicates that grammar is a set of rules derived from language rules that most of its native speaker rarely care about. However, thesis enable them to communicate each other without creating misunderstanding and misinterpretation. They commonly do not realize, that when they express themselves trough writing or speaking, what they write or speak have patterns and they keep subconsciously applying the patterns in their communication.

Meanwhile in the context of education especially in the learning and teaching of foreign language, grammar is usually considered one of the language components other that vocabulary and sound system which students should acquire. As foreign language learners commonly do not have much direct exposure to the language

4_{H. Douglas Brown, Teaching by Principles an Interactive Approach to Language Pedagogy:} 2nd _{Edition, (New York: Longman, 1994), p. 347}

mastery. Language component is one of the ways to support the mastery of foreign language skills. Harmer states grammar is not just concerned with syntax, however the way words are formed - and can change their form in other to express different meanings – is also at the heart of grammatical knowledge.5 Based on three statements above, the writer assumes that by mastering grammar can help the students to complete sentence correctly.

Grammar is also called as organization words that combination into sentences to express thought and feeling or to express the idea in written. In teaching English as foreign language, the students need to master grammar because by mastering grammar students will be able to speak and write English correctly, it is fact that different countries have different language and every language has system which is called grammar. It also happened in translating, in order to competence in translating we should know of the language structure. In English grammar, tenses play an important role in sentence formation, the tense of a verb shows the time of an even or action.6

Based on the theories above, grammar is rule how to make a good sentence that can be understood by the reader. In English grammar there is an important part called

5_{Jeremy Harmer, The Practice of English Language Teaching, (Edinburgh Gate: Longman,} 2007), p. 32

6_{Paul Joseph, Grammar Simple Present Tense, http://www.englishleap.com/grammar.tense,} retrieved on April 2nd_{, 2016}

tenses. Tenses is a verb shows the time of an event or action, it is very important in constructing a sentence and it should be mastered by the learners.

C. Concept of Tenses

In learning English as a foreign language, there is component called grammar. When we learn grammar, the tenses will be automatically correlated. Tense means time. However, it should be pointed out that time in relation to action is a concept that exists in the mind of speaker, reader, or listener. Tense, in actual usage, refers consistently only to grammatical forms. Often tense and time do not correspond at all.7 It means that tense is the linguistic indication of the time of an action. In fact, tense establishes a relation: it indicates the time of an event in respect to the moment of speaking, reading or listening.

Tense is one of the important parts of structure in English. In teaching learning English the teacher should make the students understand about tenses which are used to make them able to make sentence because tenses are a verb form that are used in certain time. So it must be mastered by the students. According to Lado, tense is form of the verb that refers to change the time.8 It means that information of time that difference can influence form of the verb used in the sentences. In English grammar there are 16 kinds of tenses:

7_{George E. Wishon and Julia M. Burks,} Let’s Write English, (North York: Van Nostrand Reinhold Ltd, 1980), p. 192

1. Simple Present Tense 2. Present Continuous Tense 3. Present Perfect Tense

4. Present Perfect Continuous Tense 5. Simple Past Tense

6. Past Continuous Tense 7. Pas Perfect Tense

8. Past Perfect Continuous Tense 9. Simple Future Tense

10.Future Continuous Tense 11.Future Perfect Tense

12.Future Perfect Continuous Tense 13.Simple Past Future Tense

14.Past Future Continuous Tense 15.Past Future Perfect Tense

16.Past Future Perfect Continuous Tense

Each of these has a present, past, future, and past future form.9 _{It means that English} grammar has sixteen kinds of tenses, but in this research the writer will focus on simple present tense.

9 _{Paul Joseph, Loc. Cit.}

According the definition above, tense is a particular form of a verb indicating the time of an action or a state. It is also a grammatical category that locates a situation in time that indicates the situation takes place. To have a good ability in writing descriptive text, the learner or students should master the tenses well especially simple present tense, because simple present tense is a sentence used in writing descriptive text.

D. Concept of Simple Present Tense 1. Definition of Simple Present Tense

The Simple Present Tense refers to action or situation that to do not change frequently. It is used to describe habits or routines, to express opinions, or to make genenral statements of fact, the simple present can also be used to refer to the future.10

In English grammar, the simple present tense is a form of the verb that refers to an action or event that is ongoing or that regularly takes place in present time (for example, "He cries easily").11

The simple present tense is the one which we use when an action is happening right now, or when it happens regularly (or unceasingly, which is why it’s sometimes

10_{Patricia Werner, Mosaic 1 A Content-Based Grammar, (New York: McGraw-Hill, 1990), p.} 125

11_{Terry Willie, Simple Present Tense,} http://grammar.about.com/od/rs/g/Simple-Present-Tense.htm, retrieved on April 2nd_{, 2016}

called present indefinite). The simple present tense is formed by using the root form or by adding -s or -es to the end, depending on the person.12

2. Use of Simple Present Tense a. Repeated Actions

Use the Simple Present to express the idea that an action is repeated or usual. The action can be a habit, a hobby, a daily event, a scheduled event or something that often happens. It can also be something a person often forgets or usually does not do.13

Examples:

1) The train leaves every morning at 8 AM. 2) The train does not leave at 9 AM. 3) When does the train usually leave? 4) She always forgets her purse. 5) He never forgets his wallet.

b. Fact or Generalization

12_{Betty Schrampfer Azar, Basic English Grammar (2}nd _{Ed), (New York: Longman Group,} 1941), p. 200

13_{Steven, Simple Present Tense, http://www.englishpage.com/verbpage/simplepresent.html,} retrieved on April 2nd_{, 2016}

The Simple Present can also indicate the speaker believes that a fact was true before, is true now, and will be true in the future. It is not important if the speaker is correct about the fact. It is also used to make generalizations about people or things.14

Examples:

1) Cats like milk.

2) Birds do not like milk. 3) California is in America.

4) California is not in the United Kingdom. 5) Windows are made of glass.

c. Scheduled Events in the Near Future

Speakers occasionally use Simple Present to talk about scheduled events in the near future. This is most commonly done when talking about public transportation, but it can be used with other scheduled events as well.15

Examples:

1) The train leaves tonight at 6 PM.

2) The bus does not arrive at 11 AM, it arrives at 11 PM. 3) When do we board the plane?

4) The party starts at 8 o'clock. 5) When does class begin tomorrow?

14_Ibid.

15 Ibid.

d. Now (Non-Continuous Verbs)

Speakers sometimes use the Simple Present to express the idea that an action is happening or is not happening now. This can only be done with Non-Continuous Verbs and certain Mixed Verbs.16

Examples:

1) I am here now. 2) She is not here now. 3) He needs help right now. 4) He does not need help now. 5) He has his passport in his hand. 6) Do you have your passport with you?

3. Form of Simple Present Tense

The following forms of simple present tense are: a. Verbal

When the predicate is a verb, the sentence will be called “Verbal Sentence”.17 1) Positive form

Formula: S + Verb + (s/es) + O

Example: My father reads newspaper every morning. I get up 5 O’clock every day.

2) Negative form

16

Ibid.

Formula: S + do/does + not + verb + O

Example: My father doesn’t read newspaper every morning.

I don’t get up 5 O’clock every day.

3) Interrogative form

Formula: Do/does + S + verb1 + O?

Example: Does my father read newspaper every morning? Do you get up 5 O’clock every day?18

4) Negative Interrogative form

Formula: Do/does + not + S + verb1 + O? Example: Doesn’t he speak English well?

Don’t you eat every day?

b. Nominal

When the predicate (in a sentence) is a noun, pronoun, noun phrase, adjective or adverb, the sentense will be called “Nominal Sentence”.19

1) Positive form

Formula: S + to be + noun adjective/adverb Example: The world is round.

Tom and I are students.

2) Negative form

Formula: S + to be + not + noun adjective/adverb Example: My bed is not comfortable.

The shops are not open every morning.

3) Interrogative form

18_{M.J Lado, Op. Cit, p. 8} 19_Ibid.

Formula: S + to be + not + noun adjective/adverb Example: Is your parent at home?

Are these hotel expensive?

4) Negative Interrogative form

Formula: To be + not + S + noun adjective/adverb Example: Aren’t you a doctor? Yes, I am/No, I am not.

Isn’t she a nurse? Yes she is/No, she isn’t.20

4. Time signals of Simple Present Tense

Time signal are words and phrases that tell us when an event takes place. Time signals for the simple present tense identify more than just one event. Remember that the simple present tense is used for repeated events.

a. Adverb of Time

Every day Every week Every month Every year

Every/each In the morning Once/twice a day Here/there

Note: adverb of time used in the first sentence or end sentence. Example: You write a letter every day.

You do not write a letter every month, Do you write a letter every year?

Don’t you write a letter twice a day.

b. Adverb of Frequency

Always Never Seldom

Often Now sometimes

20_{M.J Lado, Op. Cit, p. 18}

Note: adverb of frequency is often used before verb or after verb.21 Example: They usually study English.

They do not always study English. Do they seldom study English?

Don’t they seldom study English?

Based on the statement above we can conclude that simple present tense is a sentence construction which tells or shows the daily activities and general truth in the nominal or verbal form of positive, negative, interrogative, and negative interrogative sentences using its particular time signals.

5. Simple Present Tense Mastery

Mastery is a great skill or knowledge about something which is had by someone. Meanwhile, Fullan defines that mastery is obviously necessary for effectiveness, but it is also a means for achieving deeper understanding.22 It means that mastery is a complete of having control over something superiority in through knowledge of a subject. According to Messer, mastery is the broad knowledge and skill in understanding the world of physical objects.23 It can be concluded that mastery is have a broad skill of knowledge in understanding the objects.

21_{A. Faidal Rahman Ali, Fundamental of English Grammar a Practical Guide, (Yogyakarta:} Pustaka Widyatama, 2007), p. 252

22_{Michael G. Fullan, Why Teacher must Become Change Agents, Journal of Educational} Leadership, 1993, p. 4, http://www.sunyedl630.wikispace.com, retrieved on April 2nd_{, 2016}

23_{David J. Messer, Mastery Motivation in Early Childhood, (London: Routledge, 2003), p.} 230

According to Werner, Simple Present Tense refers to action or situation that to do not change frequently. It is used to describe habits or routines, to express opinions, or to make genenral statements of fact, the simple present can also be used to refer to the future.24 It means that simple present tense is sentence that use to express daily activity, habitual, general statement, and it can also be used to express the future. Based on those statement it can be concluded that simple present tense mastery is the students’ skill to construct sentences which tell or show daily activities or general truth in the nominal or verbal form of positive, negative, interrogative, and negative interrogative sentences using its particular time signals.

E. Concept of Writing 1. Definition of Writing

Writing is a psychological activity of the language user to put information in the writing text.25 The written productive language skill is called writing. It is skill of a writer to communicate information to a reader or group of readers. Her or his skill is also realized by his or her ability to apply the rules of the language s/he is writing to transfer information s/he has in her or his mind to her or his readers(s) effectively.26 Writing is a process of communication which uses conventional; graphic system to convey a message to reader. For many of foreign language learner, writing is

24_{Patricia Werner, Loc. Cit.}

25_{Sanggam Siahaan, Issues In Linguistics (1}st _{Ed), (Yogyakarta, Graha Ilmu, 2007), p. 215} 26_{Sanggam Siahaan,The English Paragraph (1}st _{Ed), (Yogyakarta:Graha Ilmu,2008),p. 2}

considered as the most difficult skill because in writing they have to combine the correct grammatical and also the coherence of the paragraph.27

Writing is often characterized as a hierarchically organized goal directed problem solving process. In writing consist of four main processes in writing they are planning, writing, editing and reviewing.28 _{In writing skill have shown that an} instruction in each of these activities leads to better performance. To write a story or paragraph well must use stages from planning through writing and editing to reviewing.

Based on the theories above, the researcher can conclude that the definition of writing is one of process to express the writer ideas, experience, thoughts and feelings through writing.

2. Writing process

According to Harmer, there are four stages in the process of writing. There are: 1. Planning

Plan what they are going to write. When planning, writers have to think about three main issues. In the first, place they have to consider the purpose. Secondly, experienced writers think of the audience they are writing for. Thirdly, writers have to consider the content structure.

27_{Sanggam Siahaan, Generic Text Structure (1}st _{Ed), (Yogyakarta: Graha Ilmu,2008), p. 3} 28_{James Hartley, Academic Writing and Publishing (1}st _{Ed), (London: Routledge, 2008),} pp.10-11

2. Drafting

The first version of a piece of writing as a draft. As the writing process proceeds into editing, a number of drafts may be produced on the way to the final version. 3. Editing ( Reflecting and Revising)

The writers tend to look at issues of general meaning and overall structure before concentrating on detailed features such as individual words and grammatical accuracy.

4. Final Version

The writers is now ready to send the written text to its intended audience.29

Based on those statements it can be concluded that writing is not instant activity. It need some process that should be know by the writer. To write a text the writer has to do some process of writing , they are planning, drafting, editing, and final version.

3. Writing Ability

Writing ability is the skill of a writer to communicate information to a reader or group of readers.30 _{It means that writing ability is the ability to express the ideas and} thought in writing clearly that must be mastered by the writer. In writing, there are five aspects that must be ordered by writer. It is needed to give clearly of information that as the writer means. Writing has some component that must be attended. Tribble states there are five scoring criteria for scoring of writing ; they are:

29_{Jeremy Harmer,How to Teach Writing, (Harlow: Longman group ,2007), pp. 4-5} 30_{Sanggam Siahaan, Op Cit, p. 2}

1. Content (the ability to think creatively and develop thoughts). 2. Organization (the ability to write in appropriate manner) 3. Vocabulary (the ability to use of word/idiom).

4. Language (the ability to write appropriate structure)

5. Mechanics (the ability to use punctuation, capitalization, spelling and layoutcorrectly).31

To give the score of students’ writing ability the writer used the scoring of writing work by Tribble. It can be seen on the table below:

Table 3

The Scoring of Writing work by Tribble

Areas Scores Descriptor

Content 30-27 Excellent to very good: knowledgeable - substantive. 26-22 Good to average: some knowledge of subject - little

substance.

21-17 Fair to poor: limited knowledge of subject - no stated. 16-13 Very poor: does not show knowledge of subject - non

substantive.

Organization 20-18 Excellent to very good: fluent expression – ideas clearly stated.

13-10 Fair to good: non-fluent - ideas confused of disconnected. 9-7 Very poor: does not communicate - no organization. Vocabulary 20-18 Excellent to very good: sophisticated range - effective

word/idiom choice and usage.

17-14 Good to average: adequate - occasional errors of word/idiom form, choice, usage but meaning not obscured.

13-10 Fair to poor: major problem in simple/complex construction.

9-7 Very poor: essentially translation - little knowledge of English vocabulary.

Language use 25-22 Excellent to very good: effective complex construction. 21-19 Good to average: effective but simple construction. 17-11 Fair poor: major problems in simple/complex

construction rules.

10-5 Very poor: virtually no mastery of sentence construction rules.

Mechanics 5 Excellent to very good: demonstrates mastery of

31_{Christopher Tribble, Language Teaching Writing (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1996), p.} 130

conventions.

4 Good to average: occasional errors in spelling, punctuation.

3 Fair to poor: frequent errors in spelling, punctuation, capitalization.

2 Very poor: non mastery of convention-dominated by errors of spelling, punctuation, capitalization, paragraphing.

Source: Christoper Tribble, Language Teaching Writing, p. 135

It means that in doing writing, the students have to attend the five components of writing in order to create good writing. Based on the explanation, it can be concluded that writing ability is the ability to express ideas, feelings, and thoughts in written form to transfer a message to the readers, by fulfilling the five important points of writing including content, grammar, organization, vocabulary, and mechanics.

F. Concept of Text

Text have a structure, they are orderly grammatical of words, clauses and sentences, and by following grammatical rules writers can encode a full semantic representation of their intended meanings.32 _{Futher, language is always produced, exchanged or} received as a text that is language as a system of communication is organized as cohesive units we call texts.33 It means that text is used as a communication by the writer with organized the structure of the text and grammatical of words, clauses and sentences.

32 _{Ken Hayland, Teaching and Researching Writing (2nd ed) (Edinburgh Gate: Pearson, 2009),} p.8.

33 _{Peter Knapp and Megan Watkins, Genre, text, Grammar: Technologies for Teaching and} Assessing Writing (Sydney: University of New South Wales Press Ltd,2005), p.29.

The text structure is how to produce and interpret a unified and coherent text and how to select and use the correct grammatical aspects a certain unified and coherent text.34 According to emilia that a text has texture and good characteristic35, as follow:

a. Coherence

Coherense refers to a group clauses or sentences relate with the context. Coherence divided into situational coherence and generic coherence. Situational coherenceis the reader can identify the text as one of the kind text such as recount, procedure, narrative, exposition, discussion, and can identify the structure in the text.

b. Cohesion

Cohesion refers to how the writer relates each part from the text.

Based on those explanation, it can be inferred that a good text is a text that relates with the theme, use correct grammatical and generic structure appropriate with the text, and can be understood by the reader.

In the subject material for Junior High School based on curriculum of 2013, there have many kind of the text must be learnt by students. Further, Emilia said that the kinds of the text must be taught to give knowledge for the students in writing, such as descriptive, recount, narrative, procedure, report, exposition, explanation, news item. Then, besides that the teacher must teach about the generic structure and grammatical

34 _{Sanggam Siahaan and Kisno Shinoda, Generic Text Structure ( Yogyakarta: Graha Ilmu, 2008),} p.3.

35 _{Emi Emilia, Pendekatan Genre-Based dalam Pengajaran Bahasa Inggris: Petunjuk untuk Guru} (Bandung: Rizqi, 2011), p.8.

features from each the kind of the text above.36 It means that there have kinds of the text must be taught for the students challenge to express their idea in writing with follow the learning process about the above.

Based on these explanation, it can be concluded that the kinds of the text those must be mastered by the students in writing for increase the students writing ability. In this case, the researcher only focuses in students’ ability in writing descriptive text.

1. Kind of text

According to English Syllabus of School Based Curriculum (KTSP), the teaching of writing for students of Senior High School involves the teaching of paragraphs or text. In English, there are five kinds of English text in the teaching of wriring to SMA of students. Each of these texts has its own characteristics and functions. Students should have knowledge of these texts. The example below are the genre of the texts:37

a. Descriptive Text

Descriptive Text is a text that describes a particular person, place or thing. The purpose of descriptive text is to describes people, place or something in specific. Thefollowing is the generic stucture of descriptive text:

1) Identification, it is identify the subject or object to be described

2) Description, it gives information about the characteristics of an object.

36 _Ibid,p.26.

b. Narrative Text

A narrative text is kind of text appropriate to tell activities or events in the past which has purpose to amuse and give moral lesson to reader.38 The generic stucture of narrative text are orientation, complication, evaluation, and resolution. While the language feature as follows focuses on specific participant, use past tense, uses time connective and conjunction uses saying verb. The example of narrative text are cinderella, mouse deer and crocodile, and malin kundang.

c. Recount Text

Recount text is to retell events for the purpose of informating or intertaining, events usually arranged in a tempopral sequence. Following is the generic stucture of recount text:

1) Orientation (provides information about situation) 2) Record of events (present events in temporal sequence)

3) Re-orientation (optional stage bringing the events into present).39 d. Report Text

Report text is used to describe and classify information. Informative reports usually talk or tell about living things like plants and animals and non-living things like rivers, montains or oceans.

Following is the generic stucture of report text:

38 _{Pardiyono, Teaching Genre-Based-Writing (Yogyakarta: Penerbit ANDI, 2010), P.94.} 39_{Otong Setiawan,Op.Cit, p. 171}

1) Classification of subject, (it introduces the subject of the report, general declaration of the report and the classification).

2) Description (they are usually in paragraphs. They contain series of facts about various aspect of the subject.40

e. Procedure Text

Procedure Text is instruction how to do and how to make something through a sequence of step.41 _{The purpose of procedure text is to describe how something is} accomplished through a series of actions or steps.42 The generic structure are goal, material, and steps. The language feature of procedure text are focus on general human agents, use simple present tense, often imperative, use mainly of temporal conjunction or numbering to indicate sequence, and use mainly of material process. The example of procedure text are how to make sandwich, how to make a cup of coffee, and how to make an omelet.

Based on these explanation, it can be concluded that there are many kinds of text in teaching writing for student of senior high school and each student must be able to understand the generic structure and language feature of the texts.

40_{Murkanto et al, English on the Sky for Senior High School Students Year XI, (Jakarta,} Erlangga, 2006), p. 135

41 _{Mark Anderson and Kathy Anderson, Text Type in English (South Yara: MacMillan} Education, 2003), p.51

G. Concept of Descriptive Text 1. The Definition of Descriptive Text

Text is a continuous piece of spoken or written language, especially one with a recognizable beginning and ending. It means text is a part of spoken or written language form. In addition, non-creative forms of writing, particularly essay writing, have traditionally been classified into four types.43 Richard has cleared in the book about list the four types of non-creative forms of writing as follows :

a. Descriptive writing as provides a verbal picture and account of a person, place or thing. It ,means that descriptive writing is to describe the characteristic of people, place or thing.

b. Narrative writing reports an event or tells the story of something that happened.

c. Expository writing provides information about and explain a particular subject. Pattern of development within expository writing include giving examples, describing a process of doing or making something, analyzing causes and effect, comparing and/or contrasting, defining a term or concept, and dividing something into part or classifying it into categories.

d. Argumentative writing attempt to support a controversial point or defend a position on which there is a difference of opinion, ESL writing programs have often been based on the assumption that novice writers should begin with the

simplest mode-the descriptive essay, and gradually move to learning the most difficult-the argumentative one.44

In addition, descriptive text is a text which is intended to describe a particular person, place or thing.45 It means descriptive text is a kind of text with a purpose to give information about particular person, place or thing. “it differs from report which describes things, animals, persons, or others in general. The social function of descriptive text is to describe a particular person, place, or thing”.46 _{It can be} concluded that descriptive text is a type of text which describes a particular person, or thing.

2. Generic Structure

The generic structure of descriptive text consist of identification and description. Identification is identifies phenomenon to be described. Description is describes parts, qualities, characteristics, etc.47 it means descriptive text has two common composition of text. Those are identification and description.

44_{Jack C. Richard Schmidt, Language Teaching and Applied Linguistics, (New York: Longman,} 1992), p.372

45_{Juanita Siahaan, An} Analysis of Students’ Ability and Difficulties in Writing Descriptive Text. Journal of Englis and Education. Vol.1.Issue 1. 2013,p.115, http://www.ejournal.upi.edu, retrieved on April 2nd_{, 2016}

46_{M Mursyid PW, Loc. Cit.} 47_{Ibid, p. 5}

3. Linguistic Features

“Linguistic features of descriptive text are: use specific participant, written in present tense, use linking verbs, use adjective, use relational and material processes”.48 _It means there are some linguistic features of descriptive text. Those are specific participant, written in present tense, use linking verbs, use adjectives, use relational and material processes. Thus, there is correlation between simple present tense and descriptive text.

4. Descriptive Text Writing Ability

Writing ability is the skill of a writer to communicate information to a reader or group of readers.49 _{It means that writing ability is the ability to express the ideas and} thought in writing clearly that must be mastered by the writer. In writing, there are five aspects that must be ordered by writer. It is needed to give clearly of information that as the writer means. It means that in doing writing, the students have to attend the five component of writing in order to create good writing.

According to Siahaan descriptive text is a text which is intended to describe a particular person, place or thing.50 It means descriptive text is a kind of text with a purpose to give information about particular person, place or thing.

Based on the explanation, it can be concluded that descriptive text writing ability is the ability to express ideas, feelings, and thoughts in written form to describe and

48_{Juanita Siahaan. Op. Cit, p. 115} 49_{Sanggam Siahaan, Op. Cit, p. 2} 50_{Juanita Siahaan. Op. Cit, p. 115}

give information about a particular person, place, or thing to the readers by fulfilling the five important points of writing including content, grammar, organization, vocabulary, and mechanics. Thus, in order to produce the good descriptive text the students should have a good ability in writing.

H. Frame of Thinking

Teaching and learning English is the process to help the students to master English both spoken and written. In mastering English the students should understand the component and skill in English. Component and skills of language are very important to be taught by the teacher and to be learnt by the students to increase their ability in language. One of the language component is grammar. Grammar is rule how to make a good sentences that can be understood by the reader. In English grammar there is an important part called tense. Tense is a verb shows the time of an event or action, it is very important in constructing a sentence and it should be mastered by the learners. Tense is one important parts of structure in English. Simple present tense is one of the English tenses that gives an idea that something occurred in the present. So, mastery in simple present tense is reflected by the students’ ability to understand and to use simple present tense correctly in the appropriate sense. Mastering of simple present tense will help students to increase their language skill.

There are four skills in English, one of the skills is writing. There are many kinds of writing, text that should be mastered by the learners. One of the text is descriptive

text. As one of the English text descriptive text be mastered by the students. Descriptive is kind of text tells about something or someone using simple present tense, the linguistics features of descriptive text are: use specific participant, written in present tense, use linking verbs, use adjective, use relational and material processes. Descriptive text always use the simple present tense formula. It means that if the students master of grammar more especially in simple present tense, they can make descriptive text well. Therefore, the writer conducted the research to find out whether or not there is a correlation between students’ simple present tense mastery and their ability in writing descriptive text.

I. Hypothesis

Based on the frame of thinking above, the writer proposes the hypotheses as follows : Ha: There is a correlation between students’ present tense mastery and their ability in

writing descriptive text.

Ho: There is no correlation between students’ present tense mastery and their ability in writing descriptive text.

CHAPTER III

RESEARCH METHODOLOGY A.Research Design

The research design employed in this research was correlational research. Correlational research is a quantitative method designed to show the relationships between two or more variables.1 It means that correlational research is one research designed that show the relationship of variables. According to Fraenkel and Wallen, correlational research is also sometimes referred to as from of descriptive research because it describes an existing relationship between two variables.2 In other words, correlational research is also descriptive research. The design is illustrated as follows:

T1 T2 Where:

T1 = Independent variable T2 = Dependent variable

The symbol T1 is an instrument of measure to obtain the data from the first variable and T2 is an instrument to the data the second variable. So there are three possible relationships between data from T1 and T2. The first possibility, the first variable affects the second variable. The second possibility, the second variable affects the

1_{Marguerite G. Lodico, Dean T. Spaulding and Katherine H. Voegtle, Methods in Educational} Research: From Theory and Practice, (San Fransisco: Jossey-Bass, 2006), p. 14

2_{Jack R. Fraenkel and Norman E. Wallen, How To Design and Evaluate Research in} Education, (New York: Mc Grraw-Hill Book Co, 1932), p. 328

first variable. The third possibility, there are variables that the unidentified affect first and second variable.3 _{It means that between the first and second variable have a} relationship that affects both variables. Therefore, the research is only focused on whether there is any correlation between students simple present tense mastery and their ability in writing descriptive text or not.

B.Variable of Research

In this research there are two kinds of variables that investigated. Both of them are dependent and independent variable, they are:

a. Independent variable is the students’ simple present tense mastery (X) b. Dependent variable is the students’ ability in writing descriptive text (Y)

C. Operational Definition of Variable 1. Students’ Simple Present Tense Mastery

Student’ simple present tense mastery is the students’ skill to construct sentences which tell or show daily activities or general truth in either the nominal or verbal form of positive, negative, interrogative, and negative interrogative sentences using its particular time signals.

2. Students’ Ability in Writing Descriptive Text

Students’ ability in writing descriptive text is the ability to express ideas, feelings, and thoughts in written form to describe and give information about a particular

3_{Ag. Bambang Setiyadi, Metode Penelitian untuk Pengajaran Bahasa Asing Pendekatan} Kuantitatif dan Kualitatif, (Yogyakarta: Graha Ilmu, 2006), p. 145

person, place, and thing to the readers by fulfilling the five important points of writing including content, grammar, organization, vocabulary, and mechanics.

D. Population, Sample and Sampling Technique 1. Population

A population is the large groups to which one hopes to apply the result.4 It means that population is all of the total number of research subject. In this research, the population was taken from all the students of SMPN 1 Karya Penggawa Pesisir Barat at the Eighth Grade in 2016/2017 Academic Year. The number of population is 166 students in the eighth grade. It can be seen in the table below:

Table 4

The table of population based on the number and gender of eighth grade at SMPN 1 Karya Penggawa Pesisir Barat in 2016/2017 Academic Year

Clases Gender Total

Female Male

VIII A 20 10 30

VIII B 18 12 30

VIII C 16 14 30

VIII D 20 11 31

Total 74 47 121

Source: the data of total students of the eighth grade in SMPN 1 Karya Penggawa Pesisir Barat in 2016/2017 Academic Year.

2. Sample

Lodico, Dean, and Katherine states that sample is a smaller group selected from a larger population that is representative of the larger population.5 So it can be concluded that sample is smaller group as part of population and it is also chosen as representative data of whole population. The sample in this research is a part population of the eight grade of SMPN 1 Karya Penggawa Pesisir Barat. In this research, the writer used a sampling technique called cluster random sampling because the classes are homogenous and the sample from group or class. The sample of the research was taken from VIII A class. It can be seen appendix 14.

3. Sampling Technique

In this research, the writer was used cluster random sampling as sampling technique. The selection of groups, or clusters, of subjects rather than individuals is known as cluster random sampling.6 Cluster random sampling is similar to simple random sampling expect that groups rather than individuals are randomly selected (that is, the sampling unit is a group rather than an individual). The advantages of cluster random sampling are that it can be used when it is often far easier to implement in schools, and it is frequently less time-consuming. It is disadvantage is that there is a far greater chance of selecting a sample that is not representative of the population.7 It can be concluded cluster random sampling is procedure of sampling that uses a group as

5_{Marguerite G. Lodico, Dean T. Spaulding and Katherine H. Voegtle, Op.Cit, p. 143} 6_{Jack R. Fraenkel and Norman E. Wallen, Op.Cit, p. 95}

sampling than individual. The names of each class was written in a small piece of paper and then these papers are rolled in put into a box, after that the box is shaken abd then took one piece of paper as the sample of the research. It was gotten VIII A as a sample of the research.

E.Data Collecting Technique

In collecting the data of this research, the writer used the following test: 1. Simple present tense mastery test

The objective test that is multiple choices test with four options a, b, c, and d. The writer used objective test in the form of simple present tense, The total of the items test is 40 items.

2. Writing descriptive text test

To know the students’ ability of writing descriptive text, the writer asked the students make a text to describe about people, place, or thing.

F. Try Out

Test are required to be reliable and valid.8 Try out of the tests are conducted to identify how valuable and effective the tests are before they would be used to collect data of the research and to identify whether the test can be administered or not. It can be seen from the result of reliability and validity of the test. Try out of the test was conducted on October 7th, 2016, this test was given to the class VIII B. The try out

8_{David Scott & Marlene Morrison, Key in Educational Research, (New York: Continuum,} 2006), p. 246

was prepared in form of multiple choice questions in 50 items of simple present tense mastery test, and make a text to describe in from essay of writing descriptive text test. Then, the test item was evaluated to get good items that were tested in the test.

G.Instrument of the Research

Instrument is the whole process of preparing to collect the data.9 In this research the writer applied objective and essay test as instrument for collecting the data. The objective test was applied to find out the students’ simple present tense mastery and the essay test to measure the students’ writing descriptive text. The construction of the test described below:

a. Simple present tense mastery test

The simple present tense mastery test is in the form of multiple choices test with four options; a, b, c, and d. Before the writer gave try out test to students, the instrument consisted of 50 items and after try out test the instrument consisted of 40 items. The classification of simple present tense can be seen in the table 5 and 6 below:

9_{Ibid, p. 110}

Table 5

The Spesification of Try Out Test for Simple Present Tense Mastery

No. Aspects Item Number

Odd Even Total

1. Nominal Sentence

a. Positive form 1, 3 2, 4 4

b. Negative form 5, 7 6, 8 4

c. Interrogative form 9, 11 10, 12 4

d. Negative Interrogative form 13 14, 16 3

2. Verbal Sentence

a. Positive form 15, 17 18, 20 4

b. Negative form 19, 21, 23 22, 24 5

c. Interrogative form 25, 27 26, 28 4

d. Negative Interrogative form 29, 31 30 3

3. Time Signals

a. Adverb of Time 33, 35, 37,

39, 41

32, 34, 36, 38, 40

10

b. Adverb of Frequency 43, 45, 47,

49

42, 44, 46, 48, 50

9

Total 25 25 50

Based on the table, it can be concluded that there were 50 question for try out simple present tense mastery test. In nominal sentence positive, negative, interrogative, and negative interrogative form, there were 7 odd question and 8 even question. The total was 15 question. In odd question, they were 1, 3, 5, 7 , 9, 11, and 13 while and even question, they were 2, 4, 6, 8, 10, 12, 14, and 16. Then in verbal sentence positive, negative, interrogative, and negative interrogative form there were 9 odd question and 7 even question. The total was 16 question. In odd question, they were 15, 17, 19, 21, 23, 25, 27, 29, and 31 while in even question, they were 18, 20, 22, 24, 26, 28, and 30. And then, in time signals adverb of time and adverb of frequency, there were 9

odd questions and 10 even questions. The total was 19 questions. In odd question they were 33, 35, 37, 39, 41, 43, 45, 47, and 49 while in even question they were 32, 34, 36, 38, 40, 42, 44, 46, 48, and 50.

Furthermore, the test items for test after try out were specification as follows:

Table 6

The specification after Try out Test for Simple Present Tense Mastery

No. Aspects Item Number

Odd Even Total

1. Nominal Sentence

e. Positive form 1, 3 2, 4 4

f. Negative form 5, 7 6, 8 4

g. Interrogative form 9, 11 10, 12 4

h. Negative Interrogative form 13 14, 16 3

2. Verbal Sentence

e. Positive form 15, 17 18, 20 4

f. Negative form 19, 21, 23 22, 24 5

g. Interrogative form 27 26 2

h. Negative Interrogative form 29, 31 30 3

3. Time Signals

c. Adverb of Time 35, 41 32, 34, 38 5

d. Adverb of Frequency 45, 47, 49 44, 48, 50 6

Total 20 20 40

Based on the table above, it can be concluded that there were 40 questions for test simple present tense mastery. In nominal sentence positive, negative, interrogative, and negative interrogative form there were 7 odd questions and 8 even questions. The total was 15 questions. In odd questions, they were 1, 3, 5, 7, 9, 11, and 13 while in even questions, they were 2, 4, 6, 8, 10, 12, 14, and 16. Then in verbal sentence

positive, negative, interrogative, and negative interrogative form there were 8 odd questions and 6 even questions. The total was 14 questions. In odd questions, they were 15, 17, 19, 21, 23, 27, 29, and 31 while in even questions, they were 18, 20, 22, 24, 26, and 30. And then, in time signals adverb of time and adverb of frequency there were 5 odd questions and 6 even questions. The total was 11 questions. In odd questions, they were 35, 41, 45, 47, and 49 while in even questions, they were 32, 34, 38, 44, 48, and 50.

b. Writing descriptive text test

The descriptive text test was given to measure the students’ writing descriptive text ability. In this test, the writer prepared several pictures then the students were asked to choose one of those pictures and write the descriptive text based on the picture chosen. Before the writer give the test of writing descriptive test, the writer did readability test to find out the valid instrument. In the readability test of writing descriptive text, the writer asked the students out of the sample of the research to answer the questionnaire. Question by crossing the correct answer after doing the readability test, it was showed that the writing instrument was readable. It means that the writing instrument can be used to measure the students’ descriptive text ability.

H. Scoring Procedure

a. Simple Present Tense Mastery test

In scoring the simple present tense mastery test, a multiple choice test was used consist of 40 items. The answer was scored 1 if it is correct and 0 it is incorrect.

S = � � � Notes:

S = the score of the test

� = the total of the right answer

� = the total item10

b. Writing Descriptive Text test

Then, in scoring the students’ ability in writing descriptive text from Christoper Tribble was used to calculate writing descriptive text test. The classification of scoring criteria they are: content, organization, vocabulary, language use, and mechanics can be seen appendix 7.

I. Research Procedure

Collecting data is the most important step in conducting the research. Based on Creswell, there are six steps in conducting correlation study.11 _{The steps are as} follows:

10 _{Suharsimi Arikunto, Dasar-Dasar Evaluasi pendidikan, (Jakarta: Bumi Aksara, 2012), p.} 187

11_{John W. Creswell, Research Design Qualitative, Quantitative, and Mixed Methods} Approaches: 4th _{Edition, (London: Sage Publication, 2014), p. 254}

1. Determining the Subject

The writer determined the subject of the research, it was done in SMPN 1 Karya Penggawa Pesisir Barat.

2. Choosing the Sample

The writer chosen one class as the sample of this research by using cluster random sampling technique.

3. Determining the Instruments

The writer determined the instruments of the research. In the form of multiple choice test and writing test.

4. Giving the Try Out

The writer gave the try out to the students out the sample of the research, it is to know the level of the validity and reliability of the instrument. After having the validity and reliability of the instrument, next the writer was distributed the instrument to collect the data for the sample of the research.

5. Analyzing the Data

The writer analyzed the data by using the formula. 6. Taking the Conclusion

J. Validity, Reliability, and Readability of the Test 1. Validity of the Test

Validity is the most important idea to consider where preparing or selection an instrument for use.12 An instrument can be said valid when it can measure what it wants to measure. In other words, an instrument can be said valid if it can show the data of variables that are being research correctly. To know the validity of the test, it was provided content, construct and internal validity. In this case, the validity of the test was calculated by using anates. Anates is application program capable of calculating the analysis for multiple choice and essay of items quickly, easily and accurately.13 It means that anates is used to calculate the validity of the test for multiple choice and essay of items quickly, easily and accurately.

a. Content validity

Best and Kahn say that content validity refers to the degree to which the test actually measures, or is specifically related to, the traits for which it was design, content validity is based upon the careful examination of course textbooks, syllabus, objectives, and the judgments of subject matter specialists.14 It means that the content validity is based on the material, and the material is agreement with the objectives of learning. To get the content validity test, it was tried to arrange the material based on

12_{Jack R. Fraenkel and Norman E. Wallen, Op. Cit, p.147}

13_{Muchammad Aruf, Jurnal Ilmiah: Penerapan aplikasi ANATES, (Madura: Universitas} Trunojoyo Madura, 2014), p. 5

14_{John W. Best and James V. Kahn, Research in Education (7}th _{Ed), (New Delhi:} Prentice-Hall, 1995), p. 219

APPENDIX 21

Score and Descriptive Statistics in Writing Descriptive Text

Statistics

N Valid 30

Missing 0

Mean 71.0333

Std. Error of Mean .50624

Median 7.105E1a

Mode 70.00

Std. Deviation 2.77282

Variance 7.689

Range 10.00

Minimum _65.00

Maximum _75.00

Sum 2131.00

Score

Frequency Percent Valid Percent Cumulative Percent

Valid 65 2 6.7 6.7 _6.7

68 4 13.3 13.3 _20.0

70 9 30.0 30.0 _50.0

72 8 26.7 26.7 _76.7

74 2 6.7 6.7 _83.3

75 5 16.7 16.7 _100.0

APPENDIX 22

DATA ANALYSIS

NORMALITY OF THE SIMPLE PRESENT TENSE MASTERY Shapiro-Wilk

Statistic Df Sig.

Present Tense .976 30 .713

NORMALITY OF THE WRITING DESCRIPTIVE TEXT

RESULT OF LINEARITY TEST

ANOVA Table

Sum of

Squares df

Mean

Square F Sig.

descripti ve text * tense

Between Groups (Combined) 122.717 11 11.156 2.181 .069

Linearity 46.163 1 46.163 9.024 .008

Deviation from

Linearity 76.554 10 7.655 1.496 .219

Within Groups 92.083 18 5.116

Total 214.800 29

Shapiro-Wilk

Statistic Df Sig.

RESULT OF HYPOTHETICAL TESTING

Nonparametric Correlations (Rank Spearman’s)

Correlations

Presenttens e

Descriptivete xt

Spearman's rho Presenttense Correlation Coefficient 1.000 .557**

Sig. (2-tailed) . .001

N 30 30

Descriptivete xt

Correlation Coefficient .557** _1.000

Sig. (2-tailed) .001 .

N 30 30

113

APPENDIX 13

Answer Key for Simple Present Tense Mastery Test

1. D 11. D 21.D 31. C

2. C 12. B 22. A 32. D

3. A 13. B 23. B 33. B

4. A 14. A 24. A 34. B

5. C 15. C 25. A 35. B

6. C 16. A 26. A 36. B

7. A 17. A 27. B 37. A

8. A 18. B 28. B 38. B

9. C 19. D 29. B 39. A

104

APPENDIX 10

Answer key for Try Out Simple Present Tense Mastery Test

1. D 11. D 21.D 31. B 41. B

2. C 12. B 22. A 32. A 42. C

3. A 13. B 23. B 33. C 43. D

4. A 14. A 24. A 34. C 44. B

5. C 15. C 25. A 35. D 45. B

6. C 16. A 26. A 36. B 46. A

7. A 17. A 27. A 37. C 47. A

8. A 18. B 28. A 38. B 48. B

9. C 19. D 29. B 39. A 49. A

85

APPENDIX 2

The Teacher and Staff of SMPN 1 Karya Penggawa Pesisir Barat

No. Nama Mata Pelajaran

1. Markoni, S.Pd Kepala Sekolah

2. Elliyoni, S.Pd Bahasa Indonesia 3. Zalika Pudi, S.Pd Bahasa Lampung

4. Drs. Meizal Bimbingan Konseling

5. Dra. Hayati Aini PAI

6. Heni Margareta Dwi Putri, S.Pd IPA Terpadu

7. Daninar, S.Pd Bahasa Indonesia

8. Yusef Efendi, S.Pd Penjaskes 9. Dedi Gustiawan, S.Pd Matematika 10. Nopia Hartati, S.Pd TIK

11. Rahmat Nursan, S.Pd IPS Terpadu 12. Edison Hakim, S.Sos IPS Terpadu 13. Riza Liston, Amd.Pd Pkn

14. Melda Wati, S.Pd Bahasa Inggris 15. Sri Fathul Aini, S.Pd PAI

16. Aya Sopia, S.Pd Pkn

17. Burman, S.Pd Penjaskes

18. Arsya Eka Wati, S.Pd Seni Budaya 19. Ria Maya Sari, S.Pd Sulam Tapis 20. Nili Sartika, S.Pd IPA Terpadu 21. Ramadona Fitri, S.Pd Matematika 22. Yosa Suhendra, S.Pd Tata Usaha 23. Feti Budiana, S.Pd Bahasa Inggris 24. Yuniarti, S.Pd Bahasa Inggris

25. Herman, S.Pd Penjaskes

26. Siska Purnamasari, S.Pd Matematika 27. Intan Yulia, S.Pd Bahasa Indonesia 28. Hari Patriansyah, S.Pd Tata Usaha 29. Lisa Fitria Marlina Tata Usaha

30. Erwansyah Tata Usaha

31. Widia Sari, S.Pd Bimbingan Konseling

Source: documentation of the Data of Teacher and Staff of SMPN 1 Karya Penggawa Pesisir Barat in 2016/2017 Academic Year.