Below are the example of wh-question sentences in both English and Bahasa:
Table 1.1 The Examples of
WH-Question Sentences in English and in Bahasa Function
English Bahasa
Asks about something
What are you doing now? Apa yang sedang kamu
lakukan sekarang? Asks about place
Where will you go tomorrow?
Kemana kamu akan pergi besok?
Asking about person as a subject
Who is your English teacher
Siapa guru bahasa Inggris kamu?
Asking about possession
Whose purse is this? Siapa pemilik dompet ini?
Asking about person as an object
Whom was your mother talking with yesterday?
Dengan siapa Ibu kamu berbicara kemarin?
Asking about reason Why do you like this song? Mengapa kamu menyukai lagu ini?
Asking about way How did you make this
cake? Bagaimana kamu
membuat kue ini? Asking about time
When will she do her homework?
Kapan ia akan mengerjakan PR-nya
Based on the structures above, it can be seen that there are some distinctions between wh-question sentences in English and Bahasa. First, the kinds of question
words for asking about people, in English there are who, whose, and whom while in Bahasa the question word which used is only siapa, whether the question asks
about the subject, the object, or possession. Second, there is no auxiliary in Bahasa. In making wh-question there is a helping verb auxiliary inversion. Since
Bahasa does not have, learners might be distracted to use does or is and do or are as the helping verb. And third, Bahasa does not have tenses in describing time as
English does. The tenses are related to the helping verb used in the wh-question; therefore it is also become a problem for the students. Those distinctions might be
a trigger for students to make errors in making wh-question. Based on the importance of wh-questions in gaining information, and the
distinctions between English and Bahasa Structures which are explained above, the writer would like to
conduct the research about “An Error Analysis in Making WH-Questions
A Case Study of the Second Year Students of SMP Islam Al-Syukro Universal
”.
B. Identification of the Problem
Based on the background of the study above, the writer identified some
problems related to the study:
1. The structure of English sentence is related to the tenses. The tenses are
related to the time. The application of the structure is based on the time that is described in the sentence. Bahasa, in the other hand, has no tenses. The
structure of sentence in bahasa can be used generally and it is not related to the time that is described in the sentence. Therefore the learners find the
English sentence is more complex to make and to use than Bahasa. 2.
English sentence has other distinctions from bahasa. English sentence has some parts such as: auxiliary, article, and different forms of verb. While in
Bahasa, there is no auxiliary, article, and the verb is only has one form. These distinctions might make the students are missing to use the article or auxiliary,
and choose the wrong form of the verb. 3.
Both of English and Bahasa have many question words. In English, one question word can be used to ask different purposes, while in Bahasa one
question word has only one function. For example:
English: what asking about thing, what time asking about time. Bahasa: apa asking about thing, kapan or jam berapa asking about time.
C. Scope and Limitation of the Study
The scope of the study is the students’ errors in making wh-question. In order
to make the study focus, the writer made limitation for the tenses which are used in this studey are: simple present tense, present continuous tense, simple past
tense, and simple future tense. The question words that used in this study are: what for asking thing, where for asking place, when for asking time, why for
asking reason, who for asking people as subject, whom for asking people as object, whose for asking possession, which for offering alternatives and how
for asking ways.
D. Formulation of the Study
Based on the background of the study above, the formulation of the study as follows:
1. What are the types of errors made by the second year students at SMP Islam
Al-Syukro Universal in making wh-questions? 2.
What are the causes of errors made by the second year students at SMP Islam Al-Syukro Universal in making wh-questions?
E. Objective of the Study
Based on the formulation of the problem above, the objectives of the study are to see the type of errors made by the second year students at SMP Islam Al-
Syukro Universal in making wh-questions and to see the causes of the students’
errors in forming wh-questions.
F. Significance of the Study
The result of the study is expected to give information to the English teachers of SMP Islam Al-Syukro Universal about the ability of the students in making wh-
questions and also to inform the errors that they made in making wh-questions.
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CHAPTER III RESEARCH METHODOLOGY
In this chapter consists of research methodology, which is including place and time of research, population and sample, method of research, procedure of
collecting data, technique of collecting data and technique of analyzing data.
A. Place and Time of Research
This research was taken place at SMP Islam Al-Syukro Universal. This school is located in Jl. Otista Raya, Gang H. Maung No. 30, Ciputat 14511,
Tangerang Selatan, Banten. It was conducted from April 21
st
2014 until April 25
th
2014.
B. Sample
This study used purposive sampling. The sample of this study is the second year students of SMP Islam Al-Syukro. The selection of the sample based on the
the relation between the students of the second year of Junior High School and the base competency that should be obtained by them, as stated in KTSP that one base
competency of second year of Junior High School is responding and expressing meaning in the simple transactional and interpersonal conversations accurately,
fluently, and acceptable to interact with surroundings involved of actions and speeches of asking service, asking things, asking facts, and asking opinion.
1
C. Method of Research
The method of this research is a qualitative method and has descriptive analysis in describing the research findings. Margono states that qualitative
research is procedural research resulting in descriptive data orally or textually
1
Kementrian Pendidikan Nasional RI, Peraturan Menteri Pendidikan Nasional Republik Indonesia Nomor 22 Tahun 2006 tentang Standar Isi untuk Satuan Pendidikan Dasar dan
Menengah.
