D. Research Finding
7. Data Description
The writer gave students a multiple choice test that consists of 30 questions focusing on; Simple present, present progressive, simple past, past progressive,
simple future, and future progressive. Each of tenses problem area has several items. The following tables will
show the number of items and errors of each problem area.
Table I Tenses problem area and the number of items and errors
No Tenses problem area
Number of items Number of errors
1 10 7 17
17 18 24 25
25 12 1. Simple
present
29 9 5 26
6 8 11 8
21 10 2 Present
progressive
27 8 2 18
3 Simple past
8 11
13 3 26 11
30 13 3 13
10 13 15 11
18 10 4 Past
progressive
20 9 4 4
9 16 14 7
22 15 23 16
5 Simple future
28 6 12 0
16 3 6 Future
progressive
19 14
8. Data Analysis
In this part, the data was analyzed and the description is as follows: Table 2
Frequency of error of Simple present
No Problem area
Item number
Frequency of error
Percentage of error
1 10 33.3 7 17 56.6
17 18 60 24 25 63.3
25 12 40 1. Simple
present
29 9 30 Total
6 items 47.20
In the Simple present tense there were 10 students 33.3 who made error in the item number 1, 17 students 56.6 made error in the item number 7,
18 students 60 made error in the item number 17, 25 students 63.3 made error in the item number 24, 12 students 40 made error in the item number 25
and 9 students 30 made error in the item number 29. On the average, the percentage of error in this tense is 47.20 . The highest frequency of error of
students on the table above takes place number 24 with 63.3 .
Table 2.1 The students’ answer and its explanation
No Students’ answer
Explanation 1 The
sun rise in the east
The sentence
shows general
statements of fact. The verb should be added by “s” since the subject is
singular. 7 Every Sunday we didn’t go
swimming Negative form of simple present
tense is “don’t or doesn’t”. 17 Every night the watchman turns on
all the lights and walk around the building every half an hour.
The subject of the sentence is watchman singular. So that the
verb should be added by “s”. 24 The Chef arranges the menu and
served drinks to the table in the bar. Since the subject of the sentence is
singular, the verb should be arranges and serves
25 Do your brother go to school
everyday? In interrogative form of simple
present “do” used for plural subject while “does” used for singular
subject. 29 She
go to school by car everyday. The subject of this sentence is
singular form, so that the verb should be goes.
From those students’ answer above it can be seen that some students have not been able yet to analyze the rule of simple present in positive, negative and
interrogative pattern. It is signed by the absence of an item “s” that must appear
in the sentence “omitting grammatical morphemes” as mentioned above e.g. the sun rise in the east, She go to school by car everyday. Besides that, the students
are still confused to identify the sentences since the writer uses the long dialog or complex sentence number 24 and 25.
Table 3 Frequency of error of Present progressive
No Problem area
Item number
Frequency of error
Percentage of error
5 26 86.6 6 8 26.6
11 8 26.6 21 10 33.3
2. Present progressive
27 8 26.6 Total
5 items 39.94
From the table above it is shown that the highest frequency of error comes from number 5 with 26 students 86.6 , 8 students 26.6 made error in the
item number 6 and 11, 10 students 33.3 made error in the item number 21, and 8 students 26.6 made error in the item number 27. On the average, the
percentage of error in this tense is 39.94 .
Table 3.1 The students’ answer and its explanation
No Students’ answer
Explanation 5
Does your father going to school now?
In interrogative form of present progressive “is, am, and are” are
used. The sentence should be is your father …
6 Watch out That man drives on the
wrong side of the road. The sentence shows an activity that
is in progress at the moment of speaking. so that, “V-ing” should be
used. 11
Be quite The baby was sleeping now The verb should be is sleeping since it shows an activity that is in
progress at the moment of speaking. 21 She
teaches English in my class now. The sentence shows an action in progress. The verb should be is
teaching 27
What is Santi read? The sentence should be what is Santi
reading?
Mother-tongue interference gives much influence to the students answer. It can be seen that some students are still confused in changing the verb based on
adverb of each sentence. Besides that, the different grammar of the first language bears faulty grammar pattern.
Table 4 Frequency of error of Simple past
No Problem area
Item number
Frequency of error
Percentage of error
2 18 60 8 11 36.6
13 3 10 26 11 36.6
3. Simple past
30 13 43.3 Total
5 items 37.3
Those items are about Simple past tense. There were 18 students 60 who made error in the item number 2, and it’s the highest frequency of error. 11
students 36.6 made error in the items number 8 and 26, 3 students 10 made error in the item number 13, and 13 students 43.3 made error in the item
number 30. On the average, the percentage of error in this tense is 37.3 .
Table 4.1 The students’ answer and its explanation
No Students’ answer
Explanation 2
Does he drive to school yesterday? In interrogative sentence of simple
past “did” should be used. 8 My
uncle don’t want to meet me a
week ago. The sentence shows a situation
began and ended at a particular time
in the past. The negative form of simple past is “didn’t”.
13 When was you born?
I was born in 1989. In nominal sentence of simple past
“was” used for singular subject while “were” used for plural
subject. 26 What did you usually do when you
were in London? I used to walked down the road in the
afternoon The verb “used to” should be
followed by base form of verb. “Used to” shows the past form.
30 My friends and I loved to play in a small field near our houses and we
were riding our bicycle together. The sentence shows a situation
began and ended at a particular time in the past. The sentence should use
V-2
Some students have not understood yet to distinguish the usage of “does and did” “was and were” in the sentence. It can be seen from the students’ answer
above that some students used “does” in making interrogative sentence although the sentence belongs to past sentence. Some students used “don’t” in negative
sentence although the sentence belongs to past sentence. In general, those errors happened because of intrerlingual error.
Table 5 Frequency of error of Past progressive
No Problem area
Item number
Frequency of error
Percentage of error
3 13 43.3 10 13 43.3
15 11 36.6 18 10 33.3
4. Past progressive
20 9 30 Total
5 items 37.8
The table above shows the frequency of error of Past progressive tense. The highest frequency of error of students goes to number 3 and 10 with 13
students 43.3 , 11 students 36.6 made error in the item number 15, 10 students 33.3 made error in the item number 18, and 9 students 30 made
error in the item number 20. On the average, the percentage of error in this tense is 37.8 .
Table 5.1 The students’ answer and explanation
No Students’ answer
Explanation 3 They are studying when the
headmaster came. The sentence shows two actions.
One action began earlier and was in progress when the other action
occurred. The sentence should be were studying.
10 When I got home you are studying English with your friends
The verb of second sentence should be were studying because the second
action was in progress. 15
When I arrived at the station Mary is waiting for me.
The second sentence should be Mary was waiting for me.
18 The teacher came into the classroom unusually early and one of the boys,
who smoked a cigarette, had no time to put it out. So, he threw it into the
desk and hoped for the best. The second sentence should be who
was smoking a cigarette… because it was in progress when the other
action occurred
20 The students
are practicing in the workshop when a group of students
from another province came to do comparative study.
The verb of first sentence should be were practicing. Because it was in
progress when the other action occurred.
From the students’ answer above it can be seen that some students still have not been able yet to distinguish the usage of “are studying and were
studying” in the sentence. Those errors happen because of overgeneralization that produce incorrect pattern when the students applied the tense rule in the sentence.
Table 6 Frequency of error of Simple future
No Problem area
Item number
Frequency of error
Percentage of error
4 4 13.3 9 16 53.3
14 7 23.3 22 15 50
23 16 53.3 5. Simple
future
28 6 20 Total
6 items 35.5
Based on the table above, there were 4 students 13.3 who made error in the item number 4, 16 students 53.3 made error in the items number 9 and
23, and it’s the highest error made by the student. 7 students 23.3 made error in the item number 14, 15 students 50 made error in the item number 22, and
6 students 20 made error in the item number 28. On the average, the percentage of error in this tense is 35.5 .
Table 6.1 The Students’ answer and its explanation
No Students’ answer
Explanation 4
My supervisor promises that I get a raise next year
The sentence expresses future time. So that the verb should be will get.
9 The school
will announced the result of the final examination next week.
The sentence expresses future time since its adverb is “next week”. So
that the verb should be will + base form
14 The manager came early yesterday but he comes late tomorrow morning
“Tomorrow morning” shows that the sentence indicates future time.
So that will + base form should be used.
22 This letter is in English, can you help
me? Sure. I am going to translate it for
you The sentence expresses future time.
To express willingness “will” is used.
23 Why did you buy this paint?
I will paint my bedroom tomorrow. The sentence expresses future time.
To express “a prior plan” be going to is used.
28 It will be a long weekend next week,
what is your plan? We have a barbeque.
“Be going to” is used since the sentence expresses a prior plan.
From the students’ answer above it can be seen that some students still have not been able yet to distinguish the usage of “will and be going to” in the
sentence. It happens because of the mother-tongue interference.
Table 7 Frequency of error of Future progressive
No Problem erea
Item number
Frequency of error
Percentage of error
12 0 0 16 3 10
6. Future progressive
19 14 46.6 Total
3 items 28.3
The table above shows the frequency of error of Future progressive. From the table it can be seen that nobody made error in the item number 12, 3 students
10 made error in the item number 16, while 14 students 46.6 made error in the item number 19, and it is the highest error made by the students. On the
average, the percentage of error in this tense is 28.3 .
Table 7.1 The Students’ answer and explanation
No Students’ answer
Explanation 12 Right now I am studying English.
Yesterday at this time, I was studying English. Tomorrow at this time, I will
study English. The third sentence expresses an
activity that will be in progress at a time in the future. So that the verb
should be will be studying. 16 Right now I am attending class.
Yesterday at this time, I was attending class. Tomorrow at this
time, I will attend class. The verb of the third sentence
should be will be attending.
19 I will begin to study at seven. You will come at eight. I will study when
you come. The sentence should be I will be
studying.
From the table above, it can be seen that some students are still not able to distinguish the sentence in past, present or future pattern. Besides that, the long
sentences made them confused to identify sentence correctly. And the carelessness has inherited the faulty on the students’ answer.
9. Data Interpretation
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