AN ANALYSIS OF THE FIRST YEAR STUDENTS’ DIFFICULTIES IN WRITING A COMPOUND SENTENCE THAT USES DEGREES OF COMPARISON AT ENGLISH DEPARTMENT OF BUNG HATTA UNIVERSITY

Abstrak

Abstract

This research was attempted to describe the first year students’ difficulties in writing a compound sentence that used degrees of comparison at English Department of Bung Hatta University. The design of this research was descriptive. The number of population of this research were 63. The researcher used cluster random sampling in taking the sample since the students were distributed into classes and all members of population were homogeneous. The researcher took 50% of the population as the sample. It means there were 31 students as the sample. In collecting the data, the researcher used writing test. Based on the findings of this research, it can be concluded that some of the first year students at English Department of Bung Hatta University had no difficulties in writing compound sentences that used degrees of comparison. In relation to the findings and conclusion, the lecturers are suggested to ask  some of students who had no difficulties to always practice the degree of comparison in comparing adjectives and make a compound sentence to make them more fluently in writing compound sentences that use degrees of comparison. The lecturers are also expected to always use the degrees of comparison and compound sentence when communicate in the class. Since some other students still had difficulties in writing compound sentences that used degrees of comparison, the lecturers also are expected to improve students skills in writing compound sentences that use degrees of comparison by giving more exercises to the students that can minimize students’ difficulties in writing compound sentences that use positive degree of adjectives, comparative degree of adjectives and superlative degree of adjectives.

Key words: Difficulties, Compound Sentence, Degrees of Comparison.