An error analysis on the understanding of Elliptical constructions by the first semester students of English Department of Widya Mandala Catholic University Surabaya, academic year 2003/2004 - Widya Mandala Catholic University Surabaya Repository
CHAPTER
INTRODUCTION'
CIIAPTER I
INTRODUCTION
l.l Backgroundofthe Study
tanguage is needed65 6 ss,qlalrrnicationinstnrment, to transmit thoughts
and ideas. According to tlevitt (1999:5) 'Human language is a qntern for
)
expressingor communicatingthought." Further he says that languageis used to
greeg questioq comnand, joke, and so o. It indicates that languagedoes is
ftrnction as an information and communicationinstrument. The writer or speaker
will attain this firnction if only the lisener or the readercan graspthe information
that is delivered.
Whereverwe go in this world we find thatthereis a language,which can
unite peoples.It is English. Hundredsof years ago, English was the native
languageofEngland only. From there,as quotedfrom French(1963:l), it spread
to other parts of Great Britain and to North America and Australia and New
)
Z.ealandwhere the British people settled It still is the vemacular of those
countries and peoples. By accidens of history and by the rapid spread of
industrial developmenl science,technolory, intemational nade, and by something
like an explosion in the speedand easeoftravel and by all the factors which have
broken down frontiers and forced nations into closer independence,English has
becomea world language.It is the mears of intemational communication.
English is now taught as the 'second language'in schmls in nearly every
country in the world: east, west, north and south. Every advancein science:in
engineering in trade, in politics, in every branch of human tharght is discusse4
printe4 disseininatedand made available in English rhat is whywe hara to learn
Fnglish as a socmd language.Learning English can mean learningail the skills of
the language. They are Reading Listening Speaking; and Writing And in
understandingEnglish there is Grammar.Readingis the skill of rmdersandingof
written gmbols in the form of passages.Listening is the skill of understandingthe
spoken symbols. Speaking is the skill of commtmicating by using the oral
qmbols. Writing is the skill expressingthoughts,ideasor feeling by usingwritten
symbols.And grammarholds the role in guiding the languagertsege.According to
Fromkin and Rodman(1988:17)the grammarincludesev€rythingspeakenlcrow
about their language --the sound system, called,phonologr, the system of
meanings,called semann?s;the rules of word formatioq calld noryhologt, the
rules of sentence fomration, called syntax. It also, of course includes the
vocabularyof words +he dictionary or lexicon.This study is relateto sentential
comprehension, as the informative and communicative firnction can be
representedby sentences.
A goodsentenceshouldbe complete,consistingofat l€asta subjectand a
predicate. But there are also some sentences which have their elliptical
constructions.Some people sometimesuse incompletesenteocesin delivering
their thought. To read such elliptical constructions,many Indonesianstudentsstill
have difficulties and this may cause misunderstandingor even inability to
understandthe language,in this caseEnglistr.Here in this study the writer is
curiousto knowwhatkindsoferrors students
madein understanding
the English
elliptical constuctions.
1.2Statcmentof the Problem
In line with the backgrormd of fte study, the question investipted is
formulated as follows: 'what kinds of eirqs did the studentsmake in completing
the elliptical consfiuctions?'
This problern statem€ntcan be firther formulated in the following sub
problerns:
l. what kinds of errors were mostly madeby the snrdentsin completing eiliptical
sentencesusing elliptical pre.foms?
2. what kinds of errors were mostly madeby the studentsin completing elliptical
sentenc€s
in isolatedclausalellipsis?
3. What kinds of enors were mostlymadeby the srudentsin completingelliptical
sentenc€sbasedon dialoguecontexts?
1.3ObJectlvesof the Study
This study attempts to find out kinds of errors made by the students in
completing the elliptical constructions.To achievethe major objective, there are
somesub-objectives:
l. To find out the kinds of errors that were mostly made by the students in
completingelliptical sentences
usingelliptical pro-forms.
To find out the kinds of errors 'hat were mostlv mde bv the shrdentsin
completingelliptical sentencesin isolatedclausalellipsis.
5-
To find ou the kinds of errors
.tet
were mostlv made bv the snrdeng in
completingelliptical ssrtencesbasedon dialoguecontexts.
1.4 Significanceoftte Study
The findingsof this studyare expectedto be of someusesfor Fnglish
teachersin hi$ sctroolin linowingkinds of errorsthat weremostlymadeby the
studentsin mmpletingellipticals@tences,
whatthedifficult constructions
areand
how to improvetheir wuysof teachings€nt€nceconsFuctions.To studentsof
Englishdeprtnent this studycm be m input to havea deeperlnowledgeabout
ln general,this studycm contributeknowledgeabout
buildinga good sentence.
ellipticalsontences
to students,teachersandresearchers
in the field oflinguistics
stud€,nts.
relatedwith theteading Englishasa foreignlmguagefor Indonesian
1.5 Scopeand Limitation
Knowing that elliptical constructioo is a broad topic, here the wdter finds
it necessaryto limit the topic.
l. The subjects of this study are the students of classesC, D and E of the
F-nglish Oeparment of Widya Mandala Cmholic Umverstty Surabay4
academic yw
2003/2004. The writer chose the subjects based on the
consideration thd those surdens were fresh gaduates from senior high
school. B€sidesthat, this study is also conductedto know the readinessof
the studentswho choseto study in EnglishD€parmeff as firture teachers.
The elliptical preforms used in this snrdyare the word too, so, either and,
rcither.
3. The English elliptical construction in this snrdyare the pauernsof etliptical
scntenceusingellipticalpro-forms:..., and so...,' ... and ...too: ..., and
neither ...: ... ,and .-. either also elliptical phrase,clauseand sentencesas
these pattems commonly found in informal situations (Carter et al,
2000:166).
1.6TheoreticalFramework
Theunderllng theoriesin this snrdyarethetheoryofcontrastiveanalysis,
erroranalysis
andthetheoryofellipsis.
1.6.1ContrastiveAnalysis
Accordingto Romaine(19E8:206),contrastiveanalysiswas developedas
a meansof comparingtwo languagesin orderto pin point the areasof differences
and similarities. While Dulay et al (1982124) saythat contrastiveanalysistredts
of errors based on comparison of the learner's native language and target
language.Dfferences betweenthe two werethoughtto accountfor the majority of
a second language (I2) leamer errors, so the most second language learners'
errors would result from their automatic useof first language(Ll) strucrurewhen
aftemptingto producethe L2 (Dulay, 1982:l18)
Brom (1980:148) saysthat contrastiveanalysiswhich is deeply rooted in
behaviorisurs and structuralisnq claims that the principle barriers to second
languageacquisition is the interferenceofthe firs languagesystern.
1.6.2Etror Analvsis
n .o.aing to Romaine (1983206) error analysiswas used to predict and
or account for the Droblerns and errors likely to research in the leaming of
I
,
particular languageby a learnerwith a given languagebackground.
f.63 E[ipsis
According to Lncke and Downing (1992:240)ellipsis is a meansthar we
can leave out that part of the messagg which is known, and in this way
concentrate on the new information, to make the text more cohesive. While
ellipsis is conversation,accordingto Cartera al (2000:165)is a naturalpart of
conversation,but is mainly usedwhen the speakersdo not expector want a strong
focus on what they are safing.
)
A theoryaboutelliptical constructionsby Quirk a aI (1985:883)saysthat
ellipsis may be more sfictly descnted as "gnmmatical omission", in confast to
other kinds of omission in language.Furtherthe writer appliesLocke's theory and
Quirk et al's, deliberatesthe ellipsis about the types,criteria and classification.
There are also some supporting theories about the types of ellipsis by using
pattems of so or too and ruither sr either as theseforms are taught in high school
basedon the curriculum.
1.7llefinition of Key Terms
To avoidmisunderstanding
the writer findsit necessary
to definethe key
t€nn us€din thissfidy- A majortern definedin thisstudyis ellipsis.
l. Elliosis
LockeandDowning(1992240)satesrhrt ellipsisis a meansthatwe cenleave
out thatpartof thc messaggwhichis howrl md in rhiswayconcenfiate
on the
new informatio4 to make the text mce cohesive,while Bibber, et al.
(2001:156)definesellipsis as the ourissim of elemenewhich are precisely
)
recoverable
from the linguisticor sinrationalcontoc. In thisthesis,ellipsisis a
clauseor phrase,a part of which has been omitted. The mritted part is
obviouslyundersoodand shorld be srpptiedto makethe constnrctionof the
sentence
tr phrasegrammaticallyoomplete.
2. Erroneous
sentences
Erroneoussentencein this thesisare sentences
which are informalsentences,
incompletes€ntences,
have impropergrammaticalstructuresand contained
erroneous
word/s.
)
3. Misusedword
Msusewordin this thesisis wordthatgrammatically
wronglyused.
Example:a) Sheale ah dppleeveryday.
It is incorrectasit stlouldbe:Sheearsanappleeveiyday.
Example:b) Wereyoufinishedtheexam?
It is incorrectasit shouldbe:-Havevou finishedtheexam?
1.8 RcsearchMethod
This stndyis a descriptivestudyon the srudents'elliptical constructions
comprehensimft is alsocan be considered
8sa ca:iesnrdyasit holdsmly in an
institution,F rglishdcparmcntof widp tvlandalasurabEJrd
cafirolic Unirusity.
This methodusesqualiadre rcsearchasit assumes
that all howledgc is rdative
that thcreis a srbjcctiveeleineotto all howledgeandresearch,
andthat holistic,
ungeneralisable
smdyisjuscifiable.
1.9Organiz-tion of the Thesis
This thesisomsistsof five chapters.The first chapteris devotodto the
introductionof the studywhich coversthe backgromdof the study,$at€Nn€nt
of
the problenr, objective of the study, sipificance of the study, scope and
limitatioq theor€ticalframenork,definirionof key terms,researchmethodand
organizationof the thesis.Chaptertwo dealswith reviewof the relatedliterature,
which discusses
aboutthe underlyingtheoriesand the previousstudy.Chapter
threeis abowtheresearchmethodthatpresented
in details.Thenextchaptertalks
aboutthe findingsandthediscussionoffindings.Finaltythe lastchaptergivesthe
conclusionandsuggestions
from thestu{'.
INTRODUCTION'
CIIAPTER I
INTRODUCTION
l.l Backgroundofthe Study
tanguage is needed65 6 ss,qlalrrnicationinstnrment, to transmit thoughts
and ideas. According to tlevitt (1999:5) 'Human language is a qntern for
)
expressingor communicatingthought." Further he says that languageis used to
greeg questioq comnand, joke, and so o. It indicates that languagedoes is
ftrnction as an information and communicationinstrument. The writer or speaker
will attain this firnction if only the lisener or the readercan graspthe information
that is delivered.
Whereverwe go in this world we find thatthereis a language,which can
unite peoples.It is English. Hundredsof years ago, English was the native
languageofEngland only. From there,as quotedfrom French(1963:l), it spread
to other parts of Great Britain and to North America and Australia and New
)
Z.ealandwhere the British people settled It still is the vemacular of those
countries and peoples. By accidens of history and by the rapid spread of
industrial developmenl science,technolory, intemational nade, and by something
like an explosion in the speedand easeoftravel and by all the factors which have
broken down frontiers and forced nations into closer independence,English has
becomea world language.It is the mears of intemational communication.
English is now taught as the 'second language'in schmls in nearly every
country in the world: east, west, north and south. Every advancein science:in
engineering in trade, in politics, in every branch of human tharght is discusse4
printe4 disseininatedand made available in English rhat is whywe hara to learn
Fnglish as a socmd language.Learning English can mean learningail the skills of
the language. They are Reading Listening Speaking; and Writing And in
understandingEnglish there is Grammar.Readingis the skill of rmdersandingof
written gmbols in the form of passages.Listening is the skill of understandingthe
spoken symbols. Speaking is the skill of commtmicating by using the oral
qmbols. Writing is the skill expressingthoughts,ideasor feeling by usingwritten
symbols.And grammarholds the role in guiding the languagertsege.According to
Fromkin and Rodman(1988:17)the grammarincludesev€rythingspeakenlcrow
about their language --the sound system, called,phonologr, the system of
meanings,called semann?s;the rules of word formatioq calld noryhologt, the
rules of sentence fomration, called syntax. It also, of course includes the
vocabularyof words +he dictionary or lexicon.This study is relateto sentential
comprehension, as the informative and communicative firnction can be
representedby sentences.
A goodsentenceshouldbe complete,consistingofat l€asta subjectand a
predicate. But there are also some sentences which have their elliptical
constructions.Some people sometimesuse incompletesenteocesin delivering
their thought. To read such elliptical constructions,many Indonesianstudentsstill
have difficulties and this may cause misunderstandingor even inability to
understandthe language,in this caseEnglistr.Here in this study the writer is
curiousto knowwhatkindsoferrors students
madein understanding
the English
elliptical constuctions.
1.2Statcmentof the Problem
In line with the backgrormd of fte study, the question investipted is
formulated as follows: 'what kinds of eirqs did the studentsmake in completing
the elliptical consfiuctions?'
This problern statem€ntcan be firther formulated in the following sub
problerns:
l. what kinds of errors were mostly madeby the snrdentsin completing eiliptical
sentencesusing elliptical pre.foms?
2. what kinds of errors were mostly madeby the studentsin completing elliptical
sentenc€s
in isolatedclausalellipsis?
3. What kinds of enors were mostlymadeby the srudentsin completingelliptical
sentenc€sbasedon dialoguecontexts?
1.3ObJectlvesof the Study
This study attempts to find out kinds of errors made by the students in
completing the elliptical constructions.To achievethe major objective, there are
somesub-objectives:
l. To find out the kinds of errors that were mostly made by the students in
completingelliptical sentences
usingelliptical pro-forms.
To find out the kinds of errors 'hat were mostlv mde bv the shrdentsin
completingelliptical sentencesin isolatedclausalellipsis.
5-
To find ou the kinds of errors
.tet
were mostlv made bv the snrdeng in
completingelliptical ssrtencesbasedon dialoguecontexts.
1.4 Significanceoftte Study
The findingsof this studyare expectedto be of someusesfor Fnglish
teachersin hi$ sctroolin linowingkinds of errorsthat weremostlymadeby the
studentsin mmpletingellipticals@tences,
whatthedifficult constructions
areand
how to improvetheir wuysof teachings€nt€nceconsFuctions.To studentsof
Englishdeprtnent this studycm be m input to havea deeperlnowledgeabout
ln general,this studycm contributeknowledgeabout
buildinga good sentence.
ellipticalsontences
to students,teachersandresearchers
in the field oflinguistics
stud€,nts.
relatedwith theteading Englishasa foreignlmguagefor Indonesian
1.5 Scopeand Limitation
Knowing that elliptical constructioo is a broad topic, here the wdter finds
it necessaryto limit the topic.
l. The subjects of this study are the students of classesC, D and E of the
F-nglish Oeparment of Widya Mandala Cmholic Umverstty Surabay4
academic yw
2003/2004. The writer chose the subjects based on the
consideration thd those surdens were fresh gaduates from senior high
school. B€sidesthat, this study is also conductedto know the readinessof
the studentswho choseto study in EnglishD€parmeff as firture teachers.
The elliptical preforms used in this snrdyare the word too, so, either and,
rcither.
3. The English elliptical construction in this snrdyare the pauernsof etliptical
scntenceusingellipticalpro-forms:..., and so...,' ... and ...too: ..., and
neither ...: ... ,and .-. either also elliptical phrase,clauseand sentencesas
these pattems commonly found in informal situations (Carter et al,
2000:166).
1.6TheoreticalFramework
Theunderllng theoriesin this snrdyarethetheoryofcontrastiveanalysis,
erroranalysis
andthetheoryofellipsis.
1.6.1ContrastiveAnalysis
Accordingto Romaine(19E8:206),contrastiveanalysiswas developedas
a meansof comparingtwo languagesin orderto pin point the areasof differences
and similarities. While Dulay et al (1982124) saythat contrastiveanalysistredts
of errors based on comparison of the learner's native language and target
language.Dfferences betweenthe two werethoughtto accountfor the majority of
a second language (I2) leamer errors, so the most second language learners'
errors would result from their automatic useof first language(Ll) strucrurewhen
aftemptingto producethe L2 (Dulay, 1982:l18)
Brom (1980:148) saysthat contrastiveanalysiswhich is deeply rooted in
behaviorisurs and structuralisnq claims that the principle barriers to second
languageacquisition is the interferenceofthe firs languagesystern.
1.6.2Etror Analvsis
n .o.aing to Romaine (1983206) error analysiswas used to predict and
or account for the Droblerns and errors likely to research in the leaming of
I
,
particular languageby a learnerwith a given languagebackground.
f.63 E[ipsis
According to Lncke and Downing (1992:240)ellipsis is a meansthar we
can leave out that part of the messagg which is known, and in this way
concentrate on the new information, to make the text more cohesive. While
ellipsis is conversation,accordingto Cartera al (2000:165)is a naturalpart of
conversation,but is mainly usedwhen the speakersdo not expector want a strong
focus on what they are safing.
)
A theoryaboutelliptical constructionsby Quirk a aI (1985:883)saysthat
ellipsis may be more sfictly descnted as "gnmmatical omission", in confast to
other kinds of omission in language.Furtherthe writer appliesLocke's theory and
Quirk et al's, deliberatesthe ellipsis about the types,criteria and classification.
There are also some supporting theories about the types of ellipsis by using
pattems of so or too and ruither sr either as theseforms are taught in high school
basedon the curriculum.
1.7llefinition of Key Terms
To avoidmisunderstanding
the writer findsit necessary
to definethe key
t€nn us€din thissfidy- A majortern definedin thisstudyis ellipsis.
l. Elliosis
LockeandDowning(1992240)satesrhrt ellipsisis a meansthatwe cenleave
out thatpartof thc messaggwhichis howrl md in rhiswayconcenfiate
on the
new informatio4 to make the text mce cohesive,while Bibber, et al.
(2001:156)definesellipsis as the ourissim of elemenewhich are precisely
)
recoverable
from the linguisticor sinrationalcontoc. In thisthesis,ellipsisis a
clauseor phrase,a part of which has been omitted. The mritted part is
obviouslyundersoodand shorld be srpptiedto makethe constnrctionof the
sentence
tr phrasegrammaticallyoomplete.
2. Erroneous
sentences
Erroneoussentencein this thesisare sentences
which are informalsentences,
incompletes€ntences,
have impropergrammaticalstructuresand contained
erroneous
word/s.
)
3. Misusedword
Msusewordin this thesisis wordthatgrammatically
wronglyused.
Example:a) Sheale ah dppleeveryday.
It is incorrectasit stlouldbe:Sheearsanappleeveiyday.
Example:b) Wereyoufinishedtheexam?
It is incorrectasit shouldbe:-Havevou finishedtheexam?
1.8 RcsearchMethod
This stndyis a descriptivestudyon the srudents'elliptical constructions
comprehensimft is alsocan be considered
8sa ca:iesnrdyasit holdsmly in an
institution,F rglishdcparmcntof widp tvlandalasurabEJrd
cafirolic Unirusity.
This methodusesqualiadre rcsearchasit assumes
that all howledgc is rdative
that thcreis a srbjcctiveeleineotto all howledgeandresearch,
andthat holistic,
ungeneralisable
smdyisjuscifiable.
1.9Organiz-tion of the Thesis
This thesisomsistsof five chapters.The first chapteris devotodto the
introductionof the studywhich coversthe backgromdof the study,$at€Nn€nt
of
the problenr, objective of the study, sipificance of the study, scope and
limitatioq theor€ticalframenork,definirionof key terms,researchmethodand
organizationof the thesis.Chaptertwo dealswith reviewof the relatedliterature,
which discusses
aboutthe underlyingtheoriesand the previousstudy.Chapter
threeis abowtheresearchmethodthatpresented
in details.Thenextchaptertalks
aboutthe findingsandthediscussionoffindings.Finaltythe lastchaptergivesthe
conclusionandsuggestions
from thestu{'.