AN ANALYSIS OF THE SECOND YEAR STUDENTS’ ERRORS IN TRANSFORMING ACTIVE VOICE INTO PASSIVE VOICE OF SIMPLE PAST TENSE AT THE ENGLISH DEPARTMENT OF BUNG HATTA UNIVERSITY

Abstrak

INTRODUCTION Learning language consists of four skills that have to be mastered by students. The skills are speaking, listening, reading, and writing. Besides, the students should also be capable of grammar. Grammar is important because it provides language meaning. It is necessary to understand the grammar and meanings of a language in order to properly use it. Grammar can be used for analyzing the form and function of words or sentences. Grammar is the study of words and the way words work together; an invisible force that guides us as we put words together into sentences [1]. Grammar is the set of rules that describes how words and groups of words can be organized to form sentences in a specific language [2]. In writing skills, it is critical to use correct grammar because writing is meaningful when it is correct. If the writer uses proper grammar, the reader will easily understand the ideas and meanings. Passive voice is one of the features of grammar that students should study. It's frequently used in both spoken and written forms. Passive voice is a type of sentence in which the subject is affected by the verb’s action. Students are frequently confused by tenses in passive voice [3]. Learning English, especially passive voice is inseparable from errors but it doesn’t mean that errors have a negative impact on learners. Error is a sign of mislearning and regarded as undesirable to proper methods of language learning [4]. Errors are indispensable to learners themselves because errors can appear as a tool learners use in order to learn [5]. Errors can be an indicator of the learners’ levels in their target language improvement even the teaching-learning process is better as errors exist. There are some previous studies that examined the students’ errors in writing passive voice. Rahyono (2020) found that there were 237 errors made by the students. The highest error is past participle (48 errors or 20.25%), omission and by phrase which have the same total error (40 errors or 16.87%), singular-plural (38 errors or 16.03%), subject-object (36 errors or 15.18%), addition (20 errors or 8.48%), and the lowest is be (15 errors or 6.32%) [6]. Some errors made by students consciously/unconsciously can affect students’ ability to master grammar. Nurlela (2015) found that misformation was the error which most frequently produced, it took 90% errors. Moreover, 7% errors are omission, and 3% errors of ordering[7]. METHOD The research design for this research is descriptive research. The researcher chose descriptive research because this research described the students’ errors in using passive voice of simple past tense at the English Department of Bung Hatta University. The total number of population members are 30 students. 1 student was absent, so the participants who participated was 31 students. The researcher used total sampling technique in choosing a sample. To have a valid test, the researcher used content validity. The researcher gave the students 35 sentences based on the syllabus, and teaching materials given to the second year students at the English Department of Bung Hatta University. The reliability was found by applying the pearson product moment method and the correlation of the test was 0.99 (very high correlation) which means the test was reliable. To collected the data, the researcher administered the test by using a google form application in 40 minutes. The researcher shared the test paper for the students. Next, the researcher explained the instruction that the students had to follow. Then, the researcher asked the students to do the test in 40 minutes. Next, the researcher collected the test paper. After that, the researcher and the second assessor marked the students’ errors and identified the errors due to criteria. Finally, the assessor counted the frequency of students’ errors. FINDINGS AND DISCUSSIONS The researcher found that There were 266 (23.45%) errors in omission, 25 (2.20%) errors in addition, 539.5 (47.55%) errors in misformation, and 304 (26.80%) errors in misordering as shown in Table 1. Table 1 The Percentage of Errors No Types of Error Number of Error Percentage 1 Omission 266 23.45% 2 Addition 25 2.20% 3 Misformation 539.5 47.55% 4 Misordering 304 26.80% Total 1134.5 100% 1. Omission Errors After the researcher analyzed the students’ answers, it was found that the students made 25 (2.20%) errors in omission of verb, 53 (4.68%) errors in omission of article, 19 (1.68%) errors in omission of subject-object, 122 (10.75%) errors in omission of by, 47 (4.14%) errors in omission of be as shown in Diagram 1. Diagram 1. Omisssion Erros There are examples of omission errors: a) The ship wasn’t sunk by Navy in February 2008. Correct sentence is: The ship wasn’t sunk by Navy in February 2008. b) Those flowerpots weren’t under the table by Mrs. Rose. Correct sentence is: Those flowerpots weren’t under the table by Mrs. Rose. It is in line with the previous study that was conducted by Nurlela (2015). She found that there were 7% errors in omission [7]. 2. Addition Errors After the researcher analyzed the students’ answers, it was found that the students made 25 (2.20%) errors in addition of article. There are examples of addition errors: a) The luxurious places in this city weren’t owned by an aristocratic family. The correct sentence is: Luxurious places in this city weren’t owned by an aristocratic family. b) Was top hats and suit weary a men? The correct sentence is: Were top hats and suits with tails worn by men in cities? This study is in line with the previous study that was conducted by Sitorus (2015), he found that there were 5.65% errors in addition. Based on the result of this research finding and previous study it can be analyzed that the students make the lowest error in addition [8]. 3. Misformation Errors After the researcher analyzed the students’ answers, it was found that the students made 294 (25.91%) errors in misformation of verb, 162 (14.28%) errors in misformation of be, 64.5 (5.69%) errors in misformation of subject-object, 19 (1.67%) errors in misformation of article as shown in Diagram 2. Diagram 2. Misformation Errors There are examples of misformation errors: a) Her beautiful scarf was blon by the wind. The coorect sentence is: Her beautiful scarf was blown by the wind. a) Were those pictures for an assignment drawn by her? The correct sentence is: Were those pictures for an assignment drawn by Shanti? This study is in line with the previous study that was conducted by Kurniasih (2013), she found that there were 86.8% errors in misformation. These two research findings emphasize that misformation is the highest frequency of error [9]. 4. Misordering Errors After the researcher analyzed students’ answers, it was found that the students made 304 (26.80%) errors in misordering. There are examples of misordering: a) A helicopter was driven air force by pilot last week. The correct sentence is: A helicopter was driven by air force pilot last week. b) Three students leave the school was saw by the teacher. The correct sentence is: Three students were seen by the teacher leave the school. This study is different with previous study that was conducted by Widiadnya & Lestari (2021), they found that there were 11 errors in misordering, which is the lowest frequency of error [10]. CONCLUSIONS AND SUGGESTIONS Based on the result of data analysis and discussion in the previous chapter, it can be concluded that the second year students’ of the English Department of Bung Hatta University made 266 (23.45%) errors in omission, 25 (2.20%) errors in addition, 539.5 (47.55%) errors in misformation, and 304 (26.80%) errors in misordering. In more specific, there were 25 (2.20%) errors in omission of verb, 53 (4.68%) errors in omission of article, 19 (1.68%) errors in omission of subject-object, 122 (10.75%) errors in omission of by, 47 (4.14%) errors in omission of be. The students also made errors in addition, it was proved by the fact that there were 25 (2.20%) errors in addition of article. The students made errors in misformation, tt was proved by the fact that there were 294 (25.91%) errors in misformatio of verb, 162 (14.28%) errors in misformation of be, 64.5 (5.69%) errors in misformation of subject-object, 19 (1.67%) errors in misformation of article. The students made errors in misordering, it was proved by the fact that there were 304 (26.80%) errors in misordering. The lecturers are suggested to give more attention to the students and know the sources of errors to minimize the students’ errors in writing. The students are suggested to learn and practice more in writing passive voice, especially passive voice of simple past tense. Furthermore, they should understand errors in writing, so they can be aware of making errors. The future researchers are expected to find out what are the solutions from the lecturers and the students to minimize the students’ errors in writing. Keywords: Errors, Active Voice, Passive Voice, Simple Past Tense.