THE THIRD YEAR STUDENTS’ ABILITY TO WRITE A DEFINITION BY USING A COMPLEX SENTENCE AT THE ENGLISH DEPARTMENT OF BUNG HATTA UNIVERSITY

Abstrak

INTRODUCTION Writing is a medium of human communication that involves the representation of a language with symbols [1].In writing definition by using complex sentence, we should know what definition and complex sentence is. Definition is a sentence that gives a general explanation about an object, activity, etc. Definitions are often used in the text of a report and refer to a specific technical or scientific term. This definition helps the reader to know or understand terms that often appear in an article [1] andcomplex sentence is a sentence which contains one main clause and one or more subordinate clauses [2]. In other hand, complexsentence is one of grammatical features used by students to define the terms about jobs, nouns, and places [4]. This research aimed at analyzing the third year students’ ability to write a definition by using a complex sentenceat theEnglish Department of Bung Hatta University because the topic of this research has never been studied so far and previous related research found that students had problems in writing complex sentences. METHOD This research belongs to a descriptive research because it describes the current status of the research subject [3]. The population of this research was the third year students at the English Department of Bung Hatta University. The number of sample was 23 students chosen by total sampling technique.The instrument of this research was writing test because the researcher wanted to know the third year students’ ability to write twenty definitions by using complex sentences using adjective clauses. The data were recorded in the form of scores based on criteria of writing definition by using complex sentence and they were analyzed by using the following steps: the researcher counted the average score of each student based on scores given by two scorers, the researcher converted the score into Bung Hatta University criteria, the researcher classified the students’ ability according to the criteria used at Bung Hatta University, the researcher counted the number of students who had very good, good, moderate and low ability, the researcher counted the percentage of students who had very good, good, moderate, and low ability and the researcher described the research results and made a conclusion. FINDINGS AND DISCUSSIONS Based on the results of data analysis, it was found that 82% of the third year students of the English Department ofBung Hatta University had very good abilityin writing adefinition by using a complex sentence.Specifically, 73%students had good ability in applying grammatical structure, 82%studentshad very good ability in expressing the correct meaning, and100% students had very good ability in using mechanics. The percentage of students for each categorywas shown in Table 1. Table 1 :TheThird Year Students’ Ability in Writing a Definition by Using a Complex Sentence at the English Department of Bung Hatta University N o Category Number of Students Percen tage 1 Ability in Applying Grammatical Structure 17 73% 2 Ability in Expressing Correct Meaning 19 82% 3 Ability in Using Mechanic 23 100% The Students’ Ability to Use Grammatical Structuresin Writing a Definition by Using a Complex Sentence Based on the data analysis, the manjority of students understood how to use grammatical structures in writing a definition by using a complex sentence with adjective clause.A few of them, however, only wrote a simple sentence using the provided word without reading the rules asking them to write a definition by using a complex sentence. Here are some examples of students mistakes: ● Where you buy this car? Actually this sentence is partly true if we asked them to write a simple present tense (interrogative). Since the researcher asked the students to define the word “Car” by using a complex sentence, the sentence is not following the direction. The possible answer is : Car is a transportation which is used to carry us everywhere. ● My brother wanna be a merchant when he was seventeenth years old. This sentence is using a complex sentence, but the student did not write a definition sentence of “merchant”. The possible answer is : Merchant is someone who sells something in the market. Based on a previous study by Astri (2018) entitled“An Analysis of Students’ Accuracy in Constructing Complex Sentence Made by English Department of UniversitasNegeri Padang in the Academic Year of 2017/2018”, she found that severalstudents had problems in using grammatical structure. In conclusion, the researcher and Astri (2018) had the same finding that the student did not master the complex sentence. The Students’ Abilityto Express a Correct Meaning in Writing a Definition by Using a Complex Sentence Based on the data analysis, most of students understood how to express correct meaning in writing a definition by using a complex sentence with adjective clause. But few of them did not write logical definition. Here are some examples of students’ mistakes: ● A farmer whom you help tomorrow is my uncle The student did not write a logical definition by using complex sentence with adjective clause.The possible answer is “A farmer is a person who works in ricefield” ● I go to mosque when pray tarawih The student made mistakes because she did not write the sentence as definition sentence.The possible answer is “Mosque is the place where muslims pray” Based on a previous study by Utama (2017) entitled“An Analysis of the Third Year Students’ Problems in Writing Complex Sentence Containing Adjective Clause at English Department of Bung Hatta University in the Academic Year of 2016/2017”,he found that 44%students had problems in expressing correct meaning. These research findings showed that the third year students of English Department of Bung Hatta University were not able to express correct meaning when writing complex sentences. The Students’ Abilityto Use Mechanicsin Writing a Definition by Using a Complex Sentence Based on the data analysis, all of students understood how to use mechanics in writing definition by using a complex sentence with adjective clause.Here are some true examples of students’ answers : • Teacher is people who works at school and teach students. • Police is a a person who works on Police Office. The finding of this research supports the previous research done by Ernis (2019) entitled“An Analysis of the Second Year Students’ Ability in Writing Complex Sentence by Using Adjective Clause at English Education Department of Bung Hatta University in the Academic Year of 2018/2019”. She found that 87% students had very good ability in using mechanics. Based on the results of this research and previous study, it can be inferred that students understood to use mechanics in writing complex sentence. CONCLUSIONS AND SUGGESTIONS Based on the results of data analysis, it can be concluded thatthe third year students’ ability at the English Department of Bung Hatta University to write adefinition by using a complex sentencewas very good. It was supported by the data that the greatest ability was in using mechanics, the second one was in expressing correct meaning, and the last one was in applying grammatical structures. It is suggested to the next researchersto investigate the studentsability to write definitions by using other ways, such as using words, phrases, and paragraphs to see students’comprehensive competencies. They may also find the students’ ability to writethe definitionsof other than jobs, things, and places. It can be the definition of hobby (fishing, reading, jogging, and etc) or condition (happy, sad, sick, and etc). And there is a suggestion to the students to relearn and do the exercises in writing definition by using complex sentence. THANK YOU NOTE The writer would like to express her deepest gratitude and appreciation to heradvisors: Dr. Lely Refnita, M. Pd as the first advisor and Dr. Joni Alfino, M. Pd as the second advisor who have helped the researcher in writing this thesis by giving guidance, suggestions and correction patiently. The researcher also thanks her beloved parents, Asral Dt.Rj Mulia S.Pd and Masnida for their fully support, motivation, and prayer for the researcher in writing the thesis. The researcher also presents her sincere appreciation to Drs. Khairul, M.Sc as the Dean of the Faculty of Teacher Training and Education,Dr. SyukmaNetti, M.Si as the Vice Dean, Dra. Ernati, M. Pdas the Head of English Department, LailatulHusna, S. Pd., M. Pd as the Secretary of English Department and all the lecturers who have taught and guided the researcher during studying at the English Department of Bung Hatta University. The researcher is very grateful to have outstanding supporters ,Arif Fadhillah Ahmad, who always gives support and help to finish this research.