AN ANALYSIS OF STUDENTS’ GRAMMATICAL PROBLEMS IN WRITING AN ANALYTICAL EXPOSITION TEXT IN CLASS XI IPS AT SMA 3 PARIAMAN

Abstrak

INTRODUCTION Writing is one of the skills that should be mastered by students. By writing the students can express their ideas, feelings and thoughts to the readers [1]. In writing an analytical exposition text, we need this skill in order that the readers get knowledge about a current issue. An analytical exposition text is to elaborate the writer’s idea about the phenomena and its social function is to persuade the reader that the idea is an important matter [2]. The dominant language features of an analytical exposition are: present tense, passive voice, and causal conjunction [1]. The generic structures of an analytical exposition text are thesis, arguments and reiteration while language features are simple present tense, external temporal conjunction and reasoning through causal conjunction [3]. Based on the researcher’s observation in class XI IPS at SMA Negeri 3 Pariaman, the researcher found some grammatical problems in writing an analytical exposition text. Relating to this, the researcher conducted the study on grammatical problems in writing an analytical exposition text in class XI IPS at SMA Negeri 3 Pariaman. METHOD This research belongs to a descriptive research because it describes the current status of the research subject [4]. The population of this research was the students in class XI IPS at SMA Negeri 3 Pariaman. The sample was students in class XI IPS 1 that comprised 35 students taken by convenience sampling technique. The data were recorded in a table of frequency of students’ grammatical problems in using simple present tense, using passive voice and using causal conjunction and they were analyzed by using the following steps: the researcher and the second assessor counted the number of students who had grammatical problems in each aspect of evaluation, the researcher counted the average number of students who had grammatical problem in each aspect of evaluation, the researcher counted the percentage of students who had grammatical problem in each aspect of evaluation and repeated the steps for all aspects of evaluation. Finally, the researcher decided whether the students had a grammatical problem or not. FINDINGS AND DISCUSSIONS Based on the result of data analysis, it was generally found that the students in class XI IPS at SMA Negeri 3 Pariaman had grammatical problems in writing an analytical exposition text. Specifically, 28 (80%) students had problems in using simple present tense, all of the students (100%) had problems in using passive voice, and 26 (74.3%) students had problems in using causal conjunctions. Table 1. The Grammatical Problems in Writing an Analytical Exposition Text in Class XI IPS at SMA Negeri 3 Pariaman No Kinds of Grammatical Problems Total Number of Students who Had Problems Percentage 1 Problem in using simple present tense 28 80 % 2 Problem in using passive voice 35 100 % 3 Problem in using causal conjunctions 26 74.3 % The Students’ Grammatical Problem in Using Simple Present Tense in Writing an Analytical Exposition Text Based on data analysis, the researcher found that the students had problems in using simple present tense in writing an analytical exposition text. Some students made inaccurate use of simple present tense in verbal and nominal sentences. For examples: Student wrote: Technology so important and major in our live. The correct one: Technology is so important and major in our live. Student wrote: The government implement PSBB during the pandemic. The correct one: The government implements PSBB during the pandemic. From the first example above, the researcher found that the student had a problem in using simple present tense in nominal sentence. The same problem was also had by other students. In a nominal sentence, to be should be used in a sentence; in fact the student omitted to be. The next example showed a problem in a verbal sentence “The government implement PSBB during the pandemic”. The student should have written “The government implements PSBB during the pandemic”. This study is in line with a previous study by Hayrunnisa (2019) entitled “Students’ Grammatical Errors in Using Simple Present Tense in Analytical Exposition Text at the First Semester of the Eleventh Grade of SMA Negeri 4 Bandar Lampung in the Academic Year of 2018/2019”. She also found that many students made grammatical error in using simple present tense. In conclusion, the researcher and Hayrunnisa (2019) had the same finding that the students forgot the structure of the sentence and the verb form in simple present tense. The Students’ Grammatical Problem in Using Passive Voice in Writing an Analytical Exposition Text Based on data analysis, the researcher found that the students had problems in using passive voice in writing an analytical exposition text. Some students made inaccurate use of passive voice in sentences. For example: Student wrote: The virus can transmit by people who are close to each other. The correct one: The virus can be transmitted by people who are close to each other. The example above showed that the student did not apply the grammatical rule of passive voice. The student should have written in form “be + past participle”, so the correct sentence should be “The virus can be transmitted by people who are close to each other”. The finding of this research supports the previous research done by Aprilia [6] entitled “Students’ Ability in Identifying Passive Voice in Reading Text at the Second Year of SMAN 3 Teluk Kuantan”. She found that the students’ ability in identifying passive voice in reading text was classified into poor to average (55.8). These research findings showed that students of senior high school really have problem on passive voice. The Students’ Grammatical Problem in Using Causal Conjunction in Writing an Analytical Exposition Text Based on data analysis, the researcher found that the students had problems in using causal conjunction in writing an analytical exposition text. Some students made inaccurate use of causal conjunction in sentences. For example: Student wrote: On the other hand, English is very important for our life. The correct one: As a result, English is very important for our life. Related to the previous sentences written by the student, the sentence “English is very important for our life” is a result, so the student should have chosen one of common causal conjunctions, such as “for this reason”, “therefore”, or “as a result”. The student should have written “As a result, English is very important for our life”. The finding of this research supports the previous research done by Fauziah [7] entitled “An Error Analysis on the Use of Conjunction in Students’ Writing at English Education Department of Universitas Muhammadiyah“. She found that the most frequent type of errors occurred was the misuse of conjunction in sentence. Some students misused conjunction in additive (33.14%), adversative (33.50%) and causal (30.77%). Based on the results of this research and previous study it can be inferred that conjunction is a problem for students at senior high school or university. CONCLUSIONS AND SUGGESTIONS Based on the results of data analysis above, it can be concluded the students of class XI IPS at SMA 3 Pariaman had grammatical problems in writing an analytical exposition text. The greatest problem dealt with passive voice, the second one was simple present tense, and the last one was about causal conjunction. Dealing with such conclusion, it is suggested to the teacher to give more explanations and examples about using passive voice. simple present tense, and causal conjunction especially in writing an analytical exposition text. The students are suggested to study more seriously and do more exercises to write an analytical exposition text, so they can avoid similar problems. Future researchers are suggested to investigate why these problems occurred. THANK YOU NOTE There are a lot of people who have helped and given motivation, advice and support to the researcher in writing this thesis. Therefore, the researcher would like to express her deepest gratitude and appreciation to her advisors: Dr. Lely Refnita, M.Pd. as the first advisor and Fitrina Harmaini, S.S., M.A. as the second advisor, who had given their guidance, time, corrections, inputs, and encouragement in the process of accomplishing this thesis. The researcher also thanks her beloved parents, Drs. Zalmiruddin and Dra. Darniati, and also her lovely husband, dr. Az Rifki for their full support, motivation, and prayer for the researcher in writing this thesis. She would also like to thank her sisters, Wiwik Widya Putri and Yati Agustia Putri. Next, the researcher would like to present her sincere appreciation to Drs. Khairul Harha, M.Sc. as the Dean of the Faculty of Teacher Training and Education, Dr. Syukma Netti, M.Si. as the Vice Dean, Dra. Ernati, M.Pd. as the Head of English Department, Lailatul Husna, S.Pd., M.Pd. as the Secretary of English Department, and all lecturers who have taught and guided the researcher during studying at the English Department of Bung Hatta University. The appreciation goes to his beloved friends Livia Amanda Putri S.Pd., Sinta Mukhlis, Diah Faujimi S.Pd., Atira Novriza S.Pd., who have been with her in finishing this thesis, for their help and supports.