AN ANALYSIS OF THE THIRD GRADE STUDENTS’ PROBLEMS IN UNDERSTANDING PAST CONTINUOUS TENSE AT SMPN 5 LAREH SAGO HALABAN

Abstrak

Abstract

         The purpose of this research was to describe the third grade students’ problems in understanding past continuous tense. Descriptive method was used as the design of this research. The population of this research was the third grade students of SMPN 5 Lareh Sago Halaban Academic Year 2014/2015 (44 students).The researcher used cluster random sampling to select the sample. The total number of sample was 22 students; class IX.2 (22 students) was as the class of real test. The researcher used split-half method to make test reliable. The result of the test was reliable with coefficient correlation.93. It was categorized as very high correlation. The test was valid in terms of content validity because it had covered all materials which students had learnt.Generally, the result of analyzing data showed that the problem of the third grade students in understanding past continuous tense in using positive, negative and interrogative form was had problems. Specifically,12 students (54.55%) had problem in using positive form, 16 students (72.73%) had problem in using negative form, and 14 students (63.64%) had problem in using interrogative form . Based on the result, the English teachers are suggested to give more contextual examples in the class practice past continuous tense. A consequence, the students are going to be familiar with past continuous tense and are going to practice past continuous tense in daily activity too. The students are suggested to do a lot of practice to increase thus understanding about past continuous tense. For the next researcher, it is suggested to study about some factors that cause students have problem in understanding past continuous tense such as differentiate between past tense and present continuoustense.

Key words: Students’ Problem, Past Continuous Tense