CHAPTER I

INTRODUCTION

1.1 Background of the Study

Sekolah Tinggi Keguruan dan Ilmu Pendidikan (STKIP) PGRI

Banjarmasin is one of the higher educational institutions which have been

mandatory assigned to provide teacher education in Banjarmasin. It has programs

to create and produce the students to be professional teachers for whole aspects in

teaching and learning practice.

As an educational college institution, STKIP PGRI Banjarmasin has 4

departments be present. There are programme studies of Bahasa-Sastra Indonesia

dan Daerah, English, Biology, and Mathematic. These departments can compete

with another educational college institution in Banjarmasin even with another

university. For programme studies of English it has accredited with B score. It

proves, STKIP PGRI Banjarmasin competent in create and produce the students to

be professional teachers and has good qualification for their administration.

At the end of all learning programme, the students has an obligation to

write a thesis, as partial fulfillment of requirements in the degree of Sarjana

Pendidikan. Before it conducted, first of all, the students obliged to write research

design, as preplanned of the research. Besides, they must pass a number of

subjects in teaching English.

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The most important subject is Structure. The study of structure taught in 4

semesters in order to give the students basic knowledge in English grammar. And

expected they can be able to apply their knowledge in order to write a good

writing. Therefore, it was expected that they do not make some error when writing

research design or thesis. Although, in the field, sometimes the students still make

certain grammatical errors.

Previous studies showed, the students of STKIP PGRI Banjarmasin still

make mistakes and errors in writing. Such as the research by Mujahid (2006); A

Descriptive Study of Grammatical Errors in Agreement Made by English

Department Students Who Write Research Design Academic Year 2005/2006.

There was stated, about 94.4% found errors in subject and verb agreement, 95.8%

in wrong pronoun agreement and 68.0% errors in relative pronoun missing.

Huda’s research (2008) also supported this fact; the students of STKIP-PGRI

Banjarmasin Academic Year 2006/2007 still make grammatical errors related to

the use of article in their research design.” There was stated, about 22.66% found

errors in omission of the, 56.27% in the used instead of Ø, 0% in a used instead of

the, 7.73% in a instead of Ø and 13.33% in omission of a.

When students do not use the correct grammatical rule in writing, it

assume, they can not mastery English. As Ur (1996) said, the grammatical rule is

essential for the mastery of a language. Someone can not use the words, unless

he/she know how it should be put together.

The writer interested conducting a research in this field, especially in

article usage. For the reason, the use of article is one of the parts of function

words that most often applied in sentence. It seems simple on surface; therefore
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most of students often omit the function of it, causing them incorrect in

interpretation of the rules and make such error.

Compared with the previous studies, this research is relatively different. In

Huda’s research (2008); The Error Analysis of Using the Article Made by English

Department Students Academic Year 2006/2007, the research was only describe

and ranked the types of errors was found. In this research, the writer interested

conducting the research more focuses on analysis the error sentences occur in the

students’ writing.

By virtue of consideration the important of grammatical rules, research in

error analysis is important to conduct in order to gain more valid facts about the

error often made by students. Henceforth, the product of this research can be

useable for other researchers in order to determine problems actually faced by the

students.

1.2 Statement of the Problems

Grammar is the set of logical and structural rules that govern the

composition of sentences, phrases, and words in any given natural language

(Online Etymology Dictionary, 2000). In English, grammar is the set of rules

within the English language itself.

The set of rules itself includes the studies of kinds of function words.

Function words mean “a word that does not belong to one of the four major parts

of speech in English (noun, verb, adjective, and adverb). Their purpose is not only

to express meaning but to relate other words to each other.” Hornby, (1975)
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According to Hornby (1975) there are 9 function words among the

function words are:

1. Articles: a, an, & the.

2. Auxiliary verbs: be, have & do.

3. Conjunctions: after, though, till, while, and, but, etc.

4. Prepositions: about, as, beside, between, beyond, etc.

5. Pronouns: I, you, we, they, he, she, it, etc.

6. Noun-determiners: a, an, the, each, some, etc.

7. Substitute nouns: all, another, both, several, others, etc.

8. Intensifiers: pretty, almost, really, right, terribly, etc.

9. Specialized expressions: no, OK, myself, anyhow, anywhere, etc.

Function words often applied in sentence, especially the use of article.

They often applied in sentence for explaining the state of nouns and the particular

adjectives modified.

Most of students often omit the function of it. For the reason, the students

assume, it is as a trivial thing, it does not add in their writing. As a result, the

writer found many students often make regular ungrammatical sentences related

to the use of article.

This research only focuses on identified regular ungrammatical sentences

related to the use of article (a, an & the) that occur on the students’ writing

research design paper.

Thus, the statement of the problem in this research is:

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“What types of error in using article (a/an and the) made by students of English

Department of STKIP- PGRI Banjarmasin Academic year 2009/2010 in writing

Research Design paper?”

1.3 Purpose of the Study

The purpose of this study is; to find out types of error in using article (a/an

and the) made by students of English Department at STKIP PGRI Banjarmasin

academic year 2009/2010 in writing research design paper.

1.4 Significance of the Study

1. The result of this research expected will give contribution to the concept of

making true sentences in using article.

2. For lecturers, the result of this research is expected will give contribution

in designing appropriate teaching structure methods in using article.

3. For students, the result of this research expected will give contribution to

the concept of their grammatical knowledge related to the use of article.

4. For the next researchers, the result of this research expected will give

contribution for further research in order to gain causes of such errors that

often occur in students’ writing.