Name : Astri Kencana Siregar

Reg. Number : 2193321036

Class : English Education 2019 F

AN ERROR ANALYSIS OF SIMPLE PRESENT TENSE IN WRITING

DESCRIPTIVE TEXT
English has four skills that must be mastered, namely; Speaking, listening, reading and
writing. Writing becomes the most difficult ability for learners to learn. Writing is the most
complex skill compared to listening, speaking and reading skills, meaning that writing is a more
difficult skill to learn for learners, especially for foreign language learners because they not only
have to master fixed vocabulary but also grammar (Widiati and Cahyono, 2006). In writing
learners must recognize grammar, tense and type of text. Due to grammatical differences between
English and Indonesian, learners do not yet understand how to use grammar.
Grammar is a rule that specifically shapes how words and phrases are formed into a
sentence (Richards and Schmidt, 2010). Tense is part of grammar. According to Greenbaum and
Nelson (1998) tense is a part of grammar that expresses time in an event and is indicated by a
working form. One of the basic tenses that learners must learn is the simple present tense.
According to Hewings (2002) simple present tense is a tense used to describe the truth or present
events about habits or things that happen regularly. It can be explained that the simple present
tense is one of the grammars that refers to a truth or action that becomes a habit.
In the learning process, students are also asked to understand the type of text and the text
is still related to the ability to write. The types of texts studied are narrative texts, procedural texts,
recount texts, report texts and descriptive texts, the texts are taught based on class. According to
Noprianto (2017) one type of text that uses the simple present tense is descriptive text because
writing describes something that is still alive, and simple present tanse is one of the characteristics
in writing descriptive text. Based on the Indonesian curriculum, descriptive text is a text that is
used to describe something such as a place, person, animal, object, etc. Students should be able to
write and organize descriptive text.
But based on the results of interviews with English teachers at SMP Negeri 37 Medan,
during PLP 2 at the school. Researchers found a lot of mistakes made when writing sentences in
English. The error that researchers found was that students were still confused about using the
correct verb based on the subject with the addition of the suffix s/es, for example “He read a book
every day”, it should be “He reads a book every day”. Another example is " lita go to school” it
should be “lita goes to school” and there are many other examples of errors. The teacher also said
that students did not clearly understand descriptive texts that asked students to describe something
like places, people, animals, objects in the form of writing. In the learning process, students still
often make errors and confusions, so it is important for an educator to analyze their errors.
Error analysis is used to detect learner errors. Errors are normal in the learning process.
According to James (1998), error analysis is the process of determining the reason for language
failure. Pateda (1989) said that error analysis is very useful for teachers, especially to find out
what mistakes are most often made by learners, fixing systems and methods learning.
This phenomenon is what makes researchers want to lift this title. This research focuses on
finding out the mistakes that are often made by students in using the simple present tense in writing
descriptive texts and to investigate common mistakes made by students in using the simple present
tense in writing descriptive texts.

Problem of the Study:

Based on the background of the study, the problems presented as follow:
1. What are the most common errors students make when using the simple present tense in
writing descriptive text?
2. How to solve commons often made by students using the simple present tense in writing
descriptive text?

The Objective of the Study:

Based on the background of the study, the objective of this study can be state as:
1. To find out the most common errors of simple present tense in writing descriptive text
2. To investigate common errors students often make in the use of simple present tennse in
writing descriptive texts

The Scope of the Study:

In English there are four skills that need to be mastered, namely, reading, writing, speaking
and listening. In the process of learning the basic material is certainly not free in error. This
research focuses on student errors in descriptive text using simple present tense conducted by
eighth grade students of SMP Negeri 37 Medan.

Theory of Expert:
1. Hackman (2002), error is the wrong use of words. Incorrect and incorrect sounds in
grammar that make learning ineffective.
2. Harmer (2002), writing requires to express feelings, ideas, arguments, will and thoughts in
the form of words in sentences. The process of generating, compiling and developing ideas
into written form..
3. Husna et al. (2013) descriptive text is a text that describes something that aims to make
readers and listeners feel the feelings of sipenulis participate with the sixth inndranya
namely sounds. Tastes. Looks. Smells, feels and acts.
4. Azar (1989), simple present tense is a form used to express a sstate or event that usually
occurs now.
Research Methodology:
This study uses descriptive qualitative methods using surface strategy taxonomy to analyze
data errors. According to Dulay et al. (1982) error analysis is a method for analyzing errors in
speaking, or writing. According to Dulay et al. (1982) surface strategy taxonomy, there are four
types of errors in sentences, namely omission, addition, misordering and misinformation. Data
were collected through observation and interviews. The subjects of this study were students of
Class VII B with a total of 32 people from SMP Negeri 37 Medan. Researchers will also calculate
the percentage of each error that occurs, researchers use the percentage formula as follows:
𝑓
𝑃 = × 100%
𝑛
P = Percentage
F = Frequancy
N = Number of Student
100 = Constant value

The reason the researchers chose the school because the researchers have implemented
PLP 2 in the school. SMP Negeri 37 Medan is located on Timor street No.36B, Gaharu, District.
East Field. Medan City, North Sumatra.

References:
Azar, B. S. (1989). Understanding and Using English Grammar , second edition. New Jersey:
Prentice-Hall.
Dulay, H. et.al.. 1982. Language Two New York: Oxford University Press. 1997. Second
Language Acquisition. New York. Oxford University Press.
Hackman, R. (2002). Leading Teams: Setting the Stage for Great Performances. Oxford
University.
Husna, L., Zainil., & Rozimela, Y. (2013). An Analysis of Students’ Writing Skill In Descriptive
Text at Grade X1 IPA 1 of MAN 2 Padang. Journal English Language Teaching (ELT), 1 (2), 5-
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