Professional Documents
Culture Documents
In Partial Fulfillment
Of the Requirements for the Degree
BACHELOR OF SECONDARY EDUCATION
MAJOR IN ENGLISH
December 2019
ACKNOWLEDGMENT
Through the support, encouragement, and advice of many individuals, this study has evolved
from an idea into a concrete reality. It is the researchers’ pleasure to thank the following
individuals:
Dr. Aljun Pilonggo, the research instructor, for his full-time encouragement, constant reminders
and support;
Ms. Mahalia Sultan, the researchers’ adviser, for imparting her ideas for the improvement of this
study;
Mr. Danilo Fajardo, the researchers’ editor, for doing his job efficiently;
Mr. Clint Joy Quije, the school statistician, for the statistical help that he extended for this
research;
Mr. Alemar C. Mayordo, the chairperson of the panel, Mr. Junfe V. Pacillos and Ms. Mary
Antonette B. Ricafort, the panel members, for the valuable comments and suggestions that they
To the respondents, for their full-cooperation and participation in answering the questionnaire;
To our beloved parents, guardians, sisters and brothers, for their unconditional love,
And above all, the researchers owe their deepest gratitude to the Almighty Father for His
Subject-verb agreement means that the subject and the verb must agree in case and in
number. Being able to find the right subject and verb will help you correct errors of
subject-verb agreement. It is an important part of academic writing as it unifies a
sentence and makes it easier for the readers to understand. Thus, this study on “Level of
Competency in Subject-Verb Agreement among 4 th year BSEd Pre-Service Teachers in
Gov. Alfonso D. Tan College” aims to determine the level of competency in using
subject-verb agreement. This research used the descriptive-quantitative method design. A
total of 20 4th year BSEd Pre-Service Teachers coming from the Institute of Teacher
Education as the respondents of this study. An adapted questionnaire & rubrics were used
as tools in gathering the data. The data revealed that the level of competency among 4 th
year BSEd Pre-Service Teachers in using subject-verb agreement in terms of identifying
errors was novice with a grand mean of 23.7 which implied that students need
improvement since 80% of the students got the score of below 30 out of 70 items. For the
essay composition, it had a grand mean of 11.4 and was interpreted as minimal proficient
and the implication was mid low level of competency in writing an essay. Thus, teachers
must strengthen their strategies and activities in subject-verb agreement in order for
efficient learning to occur.
Page
TITLE PAGE i
APPROVAL SHEET ii
ABSTRACT iii
ACKNOWLEDGMENT iv
DEDICATION v
TABLE OF CONTENTS vi
LIST OF FIGURES x
LIST OF APPENDICES xi
Chapter 1 THE PROBLEM AND ITS SCOPE
Background of the Study 1
Conceptual Framework 3
Schematic Diagram 5
Statement of the Problem 6
Significance of the Study 6
Research Methodology 7
Research Design 7
Research Respondents 7
Research Setting 7
Research Instrument 7
Instrument Validity 8
Data Gathering Procedure 8
Statistical Tool Used 8
Scope and Limitations
8
Ethical Consideration 9
Definition of Terms 10
Figure Page
Appendix Page
A Letter of Permission 17
B Questionnaire 18
language where the subject agrees or matches with the verb/s used in the sentence. So, if
the subject is singular, the verb should be singular to agree with it. For plural subjects, the
plural verbs are generally used considering the number of the subject. Competency in
speech and writing. It is also the basis in identifying teachers’ effectiveness. One way to
subject with its verb (predicate). Similarly, Leech (2006) states that concord (also called
as agreement), in the most general terms, is a relation between two elements such that
they match one another in terms of grammatical feature. It means that agreement is a
relation between two elements that should agree with each other. For instance, the
English well in written and spoken communication. It will help the reader or the listener
to understand the clear meaning of sentences. However, Thalib (2003), found out in his
study that the students are still confused in applying subject-verb agreement rules and
their lack of knowledge on the said rules is the main factor causing the production of
error. Moreover, Nicolas (2008) found out that English language learners struggle with
subject-verb agreement with regard to complex noun phrases. The study of Marzuki and
Zainal (2004) revealed that the most frequent error was in writing reports and
examination in subject-verb agreement. It was found out that it has 95.5% occurrence.
Furthermore, Adira et al. (2010) also supported that subject-verb agreement was one of
the common errors in 66 paragraphs of novels that they had analyzed. In fact, the record
D. Tan College, Tangub City. They said that most of the 4th year BSEd Pre-service
Teachers in A.Y 2019-2020 make lots of grammatical errors while speaking and writing
in English. The most common error among those is the use of subject-verb agreement.
These errors are apparent mostly in their writing, even when they are at the tertiary level
already. The students hardly notice this, especially, the errors they are frequently making
With this, the researchers determined the 4th year pre-service teachers’
competency in using subject-verb agreement (SVA). It was revealed that they were non-
proficient and were subject for an intervention training program. It was expected that they
should be competent in using subject-verb agreement for it is the basic sentence structure
that should be mastered by the second language learners and having learned it is an
and the verb agree with each other seems easy, it is still one of the most common
mistakes in English (Al Dubib, 2013). It is proven by Marzuki, Zainal et. al. (2004), and
Al-dubib in Al-dubib’s thesis that the most frequent error was subject-verb agreement.
noun-pronoun agreement and that is agreement between a pronoun and its antecedent in
terms of number, person and gender. Then, he added that in English, the most important
agreement is subject and verb. Furthermore, in a simple sentence, a verb usually comes
after the subject. It can be a word or phrase which contains a simple form of verb, an
adverb, a modal or an auxiliary. The form of verb must agree with the form of the subject
(Sihombing ,2010).
In addition, Huddleston and Pullum (2005) stated that the subject normally
indicates the actor, the person or thing performing the action, while the predicate
describes the action. It is clear that subject-verb agreement is the agreement between the
subject and verb. If the subject is singular, the verb is singular and if the subject is plural,
the verb is plural because the meaning of a sentence will be ambiguous without the
One of the elements that students must have the competency in learning English
2002). Subject-verb agreement is one of its elements. Eastwood states that subject-verb
agreement means choosing the correct singular or plural verb after the subject. In
addition, Pyle and Page (2002) stated that the subject and verb in a sentence must agree
in person and number. Furthermore, Lock supports that mastering the functions of subject
and verb from the beginning is important for second language learners. Without such
competency, they are likely to have many problems with basic sentence structure, with
the formation of questions and negatives, and with the marking of tense and of number
agreement. It means that subject-verb agreement is a basic sentence structure that should
Baleghizadeh and Gordani (2012) explained that no matter how well a person
possess brilliant ideas in his writing, it will be useless if the writer, in this case is a
student lacking the ability to maintain the clarity and avoid ambiguity of his composition
due to grammar conventions. Therefore, being aware of the importance of grammar gives
The students tend to make errors in writing. According to Sarfraz (2011), the
students are weak in English, especially in writing, commit multiple errors as they have
been inadequately exposed to learning of English. Students are weak in writing English
rules. Sparks (2006) states that subject-verb agreement is a fancy term for a simple idea.
According to Nayan (2009) many students have problem in subject-verb agreement rules
in writing even though they have been learning English for many years in school.
LEVEL OF
COMPETENCY IN
PROGRAM
1.1 Identifying errors
The study determined the level of competency in identifying errors and applying
Teachers of Gov. Alfonso D. Tan College enrolled in the 1st Semester A.Y. 2019-
2. Based on the result of the study, what enhancement program can be proposed?
Curriculum Makers. This study will give schools a venue for students to be
The teachers. This study will give teachers the idea of utilizing strategies and
The students. This study will be of great help to the students since English
Research Methodology
In this section, the researchers formally describe the techniques and procedures
supporting contextual learning with regard to its research design, research setting,
Research Setting. The research was conducted at Gov. Alfonso D. Tan College
in Maloro, Tangub City, Misamis Occidental. Institute of Teacher Education has offered
different programs and these are Bachelor of Secondary Education major in: English,
Education.
have difficulty in subject-verb agreement. Thus, the researchers conducted this study. The
respondents of this study were the 4th year pre-service teachers of Gov. Alfonso D. Tan
College (GADTC). The researchers had chosen twenty 4 th year BSEd pre-service teachers
as respondents because they wanted to assess the level of their competence before they
were deployed as intern students, so that the Institute can provide necessary assistance
questionnaire authored by Maria Faye M. Colas, and Jose Laderas Santos (2017). Also, it
made use of a standardized essay scoring rubric designed by Abbas Sallam (2016) for
essay composition.
essay rubric which were presented to the adviser, editor, statistician and the panel
Data Gathering Procedure. The researchers asked permission from the school
and from the instructor to allow them to have the 4 th year BSED pre-service teachers as
their respondents. The student-researchers chose three Master Teachers to rate the
respondents’ essay. Once the questionnaire was gathered, the researchers then interpreted
the data.
SCORE INTERPRETATION
61-70 Advanced High
51-60 Advanced Mid
41-50 Advanced Low
31-40 Intermediate
1-30 Novice
SCORE INTERPRETATION
18-20 High Proficiency
13-17 Good Proficiency
8-12 Minimal Proficiency
5-7 None Proficiency
Statistical Tool. In analyzing and interpreting the gathered data, the formula
Percentage = f x100%
n
This study was conducted to the 4 th year BSEd Pre-service Teachers of Gov.
Alfonso D. Tan College to find out the level of competency of the 4th year BSEd Pre-
whether the 4th year BSEd pre-service teachers were fully skilled or competent enough in
Ethical Consideration
The ten principles of ethical consideration by Bell & Bryman (2007) was
complied with in this study. First, the research respondents would not be subjected to
harm in any way. Respect for the respondents’ dignity was prioritized. Full consent was
obtained from the respondents before the study. Protection of the privacy of research
respondents, the adequate level of confidentiality of the research data, and the anonymity
exaggeration about the aims and objectives of the study were avoided. Affiliations in any
forms, source of funding, as well as any possible conflicts of interest were declared.
Lastly, any type of communication in relation to the research was done with honesty and
transparency and any misleading information as well as, presentation of primary data
To further understand the content of the research, the following terms are
operationally defined:
Verb Agreement.
efficiently.
person and number. This means that if the subject is singular, the verb cannot be plural
Verbs. These are words used to describe an action, state, or occurrence, and
Adira et al. (2010). “Error Analysis of Subject-verb Agreement in the Writing of EFL
Saudi Female Students: A Corpus-Based Study in the Academic Year of
2013”. (Thesis of Department of English Language and Literature at Al-
Imam Mohammad bin Saud Islamic University,2013, Retrieved on
October8,2018from https://bit.ly/2q6wTSG
Al-Dubib, D. (2013). “Error Analysis of Subject-verb Agreement in the Writing of EFL
Saudi Female Students: A Corpus-Based Study in the Academic Year of
2013”. (Thesis of Department of English Language and Literature at Al-
Imam Mohammad bin Saud Islamic University,2013, Retrieved on
October 8,2018fromOctober16,2018fromhttps://bit.ly/34DBFGh
Baleghizadeh, S., & Gordani, Y. (2012). Academic writing and grammatical accuracy:
The role of cxorrective feedback. Gist Education and Learning Research
Journal,6(1),159176RetrievedonNovember19,2018fromhttps://bit.ly/2R9d
E69
Bell E. & Bryman A. (2007). The Ethics of Management Research: An Exploratory
Content Analysis, Retrieved on November 21, 2019 from
researchgategate.net/publication/227792535_The_Ethics_of_Management
_Research_An_Exploratory_Content_Analysis from https://bit.ly/2P2r1m7
Greenbaum, S.& Gerald N. (2002).An Introduction to English Grammar (2nd ed).
Longman:PearsonEducationLimited,2002.,RetrievedonOctober19,2018fro
mOctober19,2018fromhttps://bit.ly/2rNuP2I
Hornby, A.S. (2000). Oxford Advanced Learners of Current English. New York:
OxfordUniversityPresshttps://bit.ly/2Y4O3Nj
Huddleston, R. &Pullum, G.A Students Introduction to English Grammar. Cambridge:
Cambridge University Press, 2005, Retrieved on October 8, 2018 from
October 16, 2018 from https://bit.ly/33HcCAS
Leech, G. (2006).A Glossary of English Grammar.Edinburgh:Edinburgh University
Press., Retrieved on October 8, 2018 from October 16, 2018
fromhttps://bit.ly/2rNuP2I
Marzuki, S., &Zainal, Z. (2004).Common errors produced by UTM students in report
writing.UniversitiTeknologi Malaysia (unpublished project report).
University Teknologi Malaysia Repository, Retrieved on October 8, 2018
from https://bit.ly/2rNuP2I
Mas’ud, F. Essentials of English Grammar a Practical Guide (2nd ed)., Retrieved on
October8,2018fromOctober16,2018fromhttps://bit.ly/2rNuP2I
Nicolas, D. (2008). Mass nouns and plural logic. Linguistics and Philosophy, 31(2),
211-244. Number (n.d.) In TheCobuild American English for Learners
Dictionary,RetrievedonOctober8,2018fromhttps://bit.ly/37S4sZL
Nayan, S. (2009). A study of subject-verb agreement: from novice writers to expert
writers. International Education Studies, 2(3), 190-194.
RetrievedonNovember19,2018fromhttps://bit.ly/37TGQUE
Pyle and Page.(2002).TOEFL Preparation Guide Test of
EnglishasaForeignLanguage.
Delhi:NicePrintingPress,2002,RetrievedonOctober19,2018fromOctober19,
2018fromhttps://bit.ly/2rNuP2I
Sahirah & Zaidah, (2004). A study of subject verb agreement: From novice to expert
writers.InternationalEducationStudies,2(3),190194,RetrievedOctober1,201
9fromhttps://bit.ly/2P12C0g
This chapter includes the presentation, analysis and interpretation of data. The table of
Table 1
51 - 60 1 5% Advanced Mid
41 - 50 0 0 Advanced Low
31 - 40 3 15% Intermediate
1 - 30 16 80% Novice
Total 20 100%
Mean : 23.7 or 24
Novice
Table 1 shows the students level of competency in subject-verb agreement. The tabulated
result reveals that none of the respondents reached the “advanced high” level with
equivalent scores of 61-70. Moreover, based on the results obtained, majority of the
students reached the lowest level and was interpreted as “novice” with the frequency of
16 or 80% of the total respondents with equivalent scores of 1-30. The result only implies
that the BSEd pre-service teachers’ level of competency in subject-verb agreement needs
improvement. According to Thalib (2013), students are still confused in applying subject-
verb agreement rules and their lack of knowledge of the said rules is the main factor
causing the production of error .The same study also revealed that ESL students were
unable to apply the correct use of subject-verb agreement and thus, this showed that they
Table 2
Students´ Level of Competency in Essay Composition
18 - 20 0 0 High Proficiency
Total 20 100%
Mean: 11.4
Minimal Proficiency
essay writing. The tabulated result reveals that none of the respondents reached ‘high
proficiency” level with equivalent scores of 18-20. On the contrary, based on the
proficiency” with equivalent scores of 8-12. The result only suggests that BSEd interns
of the major problems faced by many ESL learners in producing grammatically correct
piece of writing. Previous studies in subject-verb agreement errors indicated that the
majority of ESL learners have problems in using and making grammatically correct
sentences following subject verb agreement (Surina, Latisha, Mahani, Anis, Nazira &
Suhaimi 2011).
Chapter 3
Summary of Findings
the study.
This study on the Level of Competency in Subject-Verb Agreement among 4th
BSEd Pre-Service teachers in Gov. Alfonso D. Tan College was conducted to determine
essay composition. Twenty 4th BSEd Pre-Service Teachers in the Institute of Teacher
study. It adapted questionnaire and scoring rubrics were used as tools in gathering the
data.
among 4th year BSEd Pre-Service Teachers in Gov. Alfonso D. Tan College as to
identifying error was novice with a grand mean of 23.7 for no one who got the score
range of 61-70, 1 got the score range of 51-60, no one got the score range of 41-50, 3 got
the score range of 31-40 and 16 got the score range of 1-30. For the essay composition, it
had a grand mean of 11.2 and was interpreted as minimal proficiency for no one got the
score range of 18-20, 5 got the score range of 13-17, 15 got the score range of 8-12 and
Conclusion
Based on the findings, the researchers concluded that the level of competency
among the respondents in subject-verb agreement was low in terms of identifying errors.
Recommendation
Based on the abovementioned conclusion, the following recommendations are hereby
suggested.
Students. The students should build motivation within themselves so that they will learn
Teachers. The teachers must strengthen their strategies and activities in teaching subject-
verb agreement. Also, the teachers must know the weaknesses of the students in order to
find ways to help them reach the desired level of competence expected of them in the
teaching field.
Administration. They shall provide more English learning materials that can be used by
students to practice their skills in using subject-verb agreement. The said materials should
Future Researches. The next researchers can use this study as a baseline guide in
AGREEMENT
Rationale:
should be mastered by the second language learners and having learned it is an important
tool as an English Second language (L2) teachers. Pre-service teachers of Gov. Alfonso
difficulty will really affect their effectiveness of being a teacher for having the ability in
Objectives
To ensure language competence and improved grammar skills among the Pre-
To formulate a plan and well updated activities which can practically help the
students.
Key Result
Areas
Person
(KPA) Objectives Intervention Activities Responsible
March 5, 2019
LOVE H. FALLORAN
Vice President for Academic Affairs
Ma’am:
In partial fulfillment of the course Educational Research B (Ed. Res 190 B), the
undersigned are the 4th year BSEd-English students of Gov. Alfonso D. Tan College
asking for permission to conduct a research study on “LEVEL OF COMPETENCY IN
SUBJECT-VERB AGREEMENT AMONG 4TH YEAR BSEd STUDENTS IN GOV.
ALFONSO D. TAN COLLEGE”.
With this, we humbly ask for your permission to allow us to conduct a study to
th
the 4 year BSEd students. We would like to gather data for interpretation and
completion of our research work. Rest assured that the data will be held with utmost
confidentiality.
We are hoping that this request will be granted.
Thank you and God bless.
Noted:
Name (Optional)___________________________________________Date:___/___/___
Directions: Select and encircle the letter of an underlined word or phrase that needs to be
changed to make the sentence correct.
E
7) Since the War on Drugs of the Duterte Administration commenced, the number of
A B C
EKG have dramatically decreased. No error
E
D Secretariesare from Davao City and known to be a trusted ally of the
8) One of the Cabinet
A
President. No error B C
9) Had the teacher knew that the Dean would read every word in the report, he could have
A B C D
been more careful. No error
E
10) One of the employee was suspended due to his frequent absenteeism and tardiness.
A error
No B C D
E Cityis adjudged as the most biggest city in the world based on area. No error
11) Davao
A
12) The members B teamspent their whole
of the C timeyesterday preparing for their
D final E
showdown. No A
error B C D
error A B C D E
15) Let us resolvedto preserve our character because without itwe are nothing. No error
C away. No error
B of the best wayto releaseour stress
A regularly is one
16) Exercising D E
B
17) WhenAwe die, we will just be a memory. C of that? NoDerror
Have we think E
A No error
during the burial. B C D
20) Because we will just beEa memory after we die, we should tried to make good memories
A No error
while we are still alive. B C
26) Monvilcalled me this morning for tell me that he had passed the Civil Service
A B C D
Examination. No error
E
27) I haven’t never seen anybody who rides a horse so well before. No error
B C D E
28) I was soAangry that I took the watch brokento the jewelers to get my money back.
B C D E
No error A
29) The policemanshowed us an identical picture of the man who steal the car. No
A B C D E
error
30) I won’t be able to go on a holiday this year unlessI will get a past-time job. No
B C D E
error A C
31) It was so nice day that we decided to picnic in the field. No error
B C D E
32) PatriciaAloves singing, dancing, and to act in front of the crowd. No error
B C D E
33) You feel like yourAhead is going to burst because every corner in Paris makes for
A B C
a good picture. No error
D E
39) The organization exists to empower its members to be leader, be a friend, and be
A B C D
of service. No error
E
40) Hey, its actually okay to eat ice cream while watching a reality show about weight
A error B C D
loss! No
E
41) My mother gone to the market yesterdayto buyme some fresh fruits. No error
B C D E
42) Trust me whenAI tell you you’re going to pass the Civil Service Exam these time.
A B C D E
No error
49) We also saw that those who challenged the status quo died miserably deaths. No
A B C D E
error
50) Crystals is considered by many to be one of the building blocks of life. No error
A B C D E
51) The quartz crystal is one of the most stable crystalline structure in existence, and
B
A transistors, radios, telephones
is widely used in things like and many advanced
C D
electronic systems, such as microchips. No error
E
52) These delicious fruits contain oil, calcium, sulfur, iron, potassium, phosphorous,
A
manganese, B
copper and magnesium, which is all beneficial for health. No error
C D E
53) Guyabano also contains numerous nutrients and vitamins that are health to the body. No
A B C D E
error
54) The stronger your connection to a particular fengshui cure, the more effective this cure
become A
in activating a specific energy for you. No error B C
using as fengshuicures, the coins areEmost often tied together with a red thread. No
55) When D
error A B C D E
56) Their open mind and philosophical view motivate them to wander around the world in
E but keep in mind that the type of apple tree you end up
D apples from seed,
58) You can grow
A
with is different from the seed you plant.BNo error C
D
59) They did not visit their grandmother E
yesterday, didn’t they? No error
A willB not start a schedule, is it?CNo error D
60) The parade E
A first, but
61) The ox arrived B the ratCsneaked E of him and became the first lucky
D on front
animal. NoAerror B C D E
62) Dance is a skillfully choreographed art practice largely by professional few. No error
63) WeAare all hoping that yourBdoing very wellCin your new job. NoDerror E
B me somehow
A advise she give
65) The C calmed
D my nerves. No error E
A
66) The students B
remainedsilence D
duringCthe entire lecture ofEthe terror teacher. No error
B plane was delay dueCto turbulent weather.
67) The arrival of theApassenger D No error E
A B C D E
APPENDIX C
Composing Focuses on central Central idea, Not a focused idea or No clear idea,
ideas with an but not as more than one idea, little or no
organized and evenly sketchy elaboration elaboration, and
elaborated text elaborated and and many digressions many digression
some
digressions
Usage Standard inflections Mostly Some errors with Shifts from one
(e.g., plurals, standard inflections, agreement, tense to another;
possessive, -ed, -ing inflections, and word meaning errors on
with verbs, and --ly agreement, and conventions
with adverbs), word meaning (them/those,
subject-verb good/well, double
agreement, standard negatives, etc.)
word meaning
Total