SYNTACTICAL ERROR ANALYSIS OF DESCRIPTIVE PARAGRAPH WRITING MADE BY THE EIGHTH GRADE STUDENTS AT SMP NEGERI 8 PROBOLINGGO

Abstract

From the results of data analysis, it could be concluded that their descriptive paragraph writing was the misuse of simple present tense with the percentage was 52% or there were 187 errors did by the students. Meanwhile, the percentage of the other errors were 27% errors in the misuse of word order or 95 errors made by students in their writing. The errors in the misuse of prepositions was 9.9%, in which 35 errors did in their writing. And the last was the misuse of articles with 9.6 % or 34 errors made in their writing. From the results of the data analysis, it could be seen that the syntactical error type predominating the other types was the misuse of simple present tense errors with 52%. Dealing with the results of interview with the English teacher of the seventh year students of SMPN 8 Probolinggo, it was known that the misuse of simple present tense was the main problem faced by the students in writing a descriptive paragraph. The finding in this research was supported by the fact stated by the teacher in the interview.