GRAMMATICAL ERRORS IN WRITING SKILLS COMMITTED BY GRADE 10

STUDENTS: BASIS FOR PROPOSED MODULE

An Undergraduate Research Proposal

Presented to the Faculty of Secondary Education

Mindoro State University

Bongabong Campus

Labasan, Bongabong Oriental Mindoro

In Partial Fulfillment

of the Requirements for the Degree

Bachelor of Secondary Education

Major in English Language Teaching

By

Fausto, Andrea F.

Mortel, Jonaflor B.

Ramos, Miko Santiago M.

2022

Chapter I
 THE PROBLEM AND ITS BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY

Introduction

Grammar is an essential part of the use of language process, both in spoken and
written language. The grammar of a language is a description of the ways in which the
language uses patterns of structure to convey the meaning, so it would be impossible to
learn language effectively without knowing the grammar, because grammar helps
learners to identify grammatical forms, which serves to enhance and sharpen the
expression of meaning. The importance of grammar is also strengthened by Mr. Kalend
O. He states “Having a good grammar system of a language, learners will be helpful in
delivering their ideas, messages and feelings either to the listeners or readers,
language without grammar would be disorganized and causes some communicative
problems, for example we cannot say something in passive sentence using English if
we do not know the grammar concept of passive voice”.

A fundamental fact about English is that what is acceptable in speech is not

always acceptable in writing. When we speak, our listeners understand that we are
composing our sentences on the spur of the moment, and they are fairly tolerant of
derivations from Standard English. Unfair as it may seem, readers often judge the value
of what we have to say by the grammar we use in expressing it; and if you like to
consider a more immediate need, there is no honest way through college without being
able to write. One can’t simply hope to get into law, or medical school, engineering,
education, or any professional field- without a thorough knowledge of English--you will
have to write – memos, letters, summaries, etc. In today’s trend of Philippine
educational system, our students must be given the chance to display their hidden
talents or express their ideas so that self-confidence will be developed in them. This is
an indication that man should realize that whatever field of endeavor he chooses,
effective writing will be invaluable. Any moment, an individual will be called upon to
communicate or write effectively. In whatever area of endeavor, one is engaged in, he
will surely find himself having to write something as a part of his job. Therefore, one
should consider writing as an extremely important tool in communication, for
incompetency along this line would mean greater probability to fail. It blocks any
approaching bright news for an individual. Writing, specifically compositions, tends to
bring out an effective use of language. It is through this means that one can effectively
express himself, an expression that is accompanied by fulfillment and satisfaction. In
every university, courses in composition have always taken part in Education and this
process continues even today. Composition writing helps the student to learn to use his
language effectively, it is a practice exercise in the process of learning to write
accurately and orderly.

Writing through compositions offers the techniques of saying something in a very

simple way-that is, when you want your readers to get what you mean. The problem is,
students’ compositions are always weak in correct usage in vocabulary, and use of
grammar. Written English compositions need to be more precise in its grammatical
form, in its sentence construction, and in its mechanical forms. It was along these three
aspects of grammar that errors in writing were identified. Thus, errors in the composition
writing of the students were categorized as grammatical, structural, and mechanical.

This paper further reiterates that it should be the concern of every language
teacher educator to help minimize writing difficulties, for if errors in writing will not have
a chance to be corrected, students will find additional difficulties in coping with school
works, and with any activity in which writing finds its place.

Thus, the researcher interests to do research related with grammar of language

that cannot separated from the language itself.

On the other hand it is also like in English writing, based on the researcher’s
perspective learners need to know the grammar system of language they can conduct
in producing a good writing, because a good writing should be comprehensive and easy
to be understood by the readers, so it would be impossible to write affectively and
maximally without concerning grammar, therefore for the language learners it is very
important to learn correct grammar at the beginning of learning a new language,
because grammar is one of the supporting aspects in English skill especially writing.

In the process of language learning, learners will get more problems and face
great difficulties when they learn foreign language. For example, it might be in their
pronunciation, vocabulary, grammar and other aspects of language, and of course this
problem will cause the errors, it sometimes happens due to the interference from
mother tongue. Besides by making errors, learners will build their new knowledge to use
the target language, and making errors during studying the second language can be
considered as a means of building learners’ abilities because they can learn something
from making errors.

As we know that an error is noticeable grammar from the adult grammar of native
speakers, reflecting the interlanguage competence of the learners. These errors occur
because of many things.

In the Philippines, English has long been a part of the curricula of varied
academic programs. Curriculum has changed drastically but the learning of English
remains intact in the essentials of any curriculum. With K to 2 coming to fore, English is
offered in both the Junior and the Senior High School curricula. It is also the medium of
instruction in teaching other subjects such as Mathematics and Science, among others.
Filipinos are regarded to be among the more fluent speakers of the English language.
This is one of the reasons that fellow Asians from other ASEAN countries have chosen
to study here in the Philippines or resort to learning English from Filipino mentors.

Countries that were once inferior in English proficiency, as according to the

South China Morning Post (2018, November 2), have now equaled or even surpassed
the Philippines in most aspects of the matter. The ability of the Filipinos in using the
English language fluently has clearly weakened.

The efficacy of individual in interacting with others lies on the knowledge and
skills he has. It was noticeable that some Filipino students have difficulty in expressing
themselves; most of the time, they commit errors in their spoken and written
communication; making it difficult for them to communicate well. Furthermore, the
students’ capabilities in expressing ideas depend on their acquired comprehension.

Therefore, the common grammatical errors that the students encountered must
be corrected. Direct instructions may not be the sole solution to these errors, neither
follow up exercises and activities, because if so, how come they still commit the same
errors despite the same lessons were taught to them, in their earlier school years? The
concern here is not about the teachers, or the content of the curriculum, but the process
of transferring that knowledge, and articulating to the students the uses of what they
have acquired, particularly, the application of the second language in their everyday
lives.

Indeed, having knowledge on grammatical errors in writing skills committed by

the students is not only the responsibility of every English teacher. Parents should also
express their commitment and show active participations in the school and with the
teachers and students.

Thus, in this study, the researchers want to find the grammatical errors in writing
skills committed by the students in the subject verb agreement, tenses of the verb, parts
of speech, sentences, and paragraphs.

This study may prove significant in contributing to the ways in which English
teachers can enhance the common English grammar errors of the students. This may
also give them additional insights into the use of English grammar not only on subject
itself but also in other subjects and specifically in communicating to others.

Statement of the Problem

 The primary purpose of this study was to determine the Grammatical Errors in
Writing Skills Committed by Grade 10 students: Basis for Proposed Module at MinSU
Laboratory High School, Bongabong, Oriental Mindoro for the school year 2022 - 2023.

Specifically, it seeks answer to the following questions:

1. What is the knowledge level of respondents in grammatical error in terms of:
1.1 Subject - Verb Agreement
1.2 Tenses of the verb
1.3 Part of speech
2. What is the performance in writing in terms of:
2.1 Sentences
2.2 Paragraphs
3. Is there a relationship between the knowledge level of the respondents and the
performance in terms of output-proposal-module.

Statement of the Hypothesis

1. There is no significant relationship between the performance of the students in pre –

test and post – test in Subject - Verb Agreement, Tenses of the verb, Part of speech,
Sentences and Paragraphs.
2. There is significant difference between the performance of the students in pre – test
and post – test in Subject - Verb Agreement, Tenses of the verb, Part of speech,
Sentences and Paragraphs.

Scope and Limitation

This research covered and limited only on the Grammatical Errors in Writing
Skills Committed by Grade 10 students: Basis for Proposed Module at MinSU
Laboratory High School, Bongabong, Oriental Mindoro for the school year 2022 - 2023.
The study is limited to 24 students of Grade 10 students of MinSU Laboratory
High School, Bongabong, Oriental Mindoro. It was conducted to determine the
grammatical errors in writing skills committed by Grade 10 students. Researchers also
intended to know the knowledge level of respondents in grammatical error in Subject -
Verb Agreement, Tenses of the verb, Part of speech, Sentences and Paragraphs. The
study will be conduct on the second week of December, 2022.

Significance of the Study

This study would be beneficial to the following sectors in general and for the
following stakeholders, in particular students.

Students. The result of this study would help the students to enhance their
grammatical skills in writing and to be aware of the common terminologies in daily used.

Teachers. The data gathered resulting from the study may serve as guidelines
teaching English subject to the teachers. This may also give them additional insights on
what to do and where to start in order to meet the fluency and proficiency in using the
language.
School Heads. They may benefit from this investigation by upgrading teachers’
competence in teaching English subject and to become globally competitive in different
aspects.
Future Researchers. They may use this research as their reference materials
and guide in better understanding the importance of the correct English grammar not
only on the subject itself but also in communicating others. This will help young and old
people to know how to handle difficulties in using English language.

Definition of Terms

The following terms used in the study are defined conceptually and operationally
for better understanding of the study.

Grammatical error. This refers to the errors found in the sentences identified by
the respondents.
 Second language- is a language learned by a person after his or her native
language, especially as a resident of an area where it is in general use.

Post – test - A test given to students after completion of an instructional program

or segment and often used in conjunctional with a pre – test to measure their
achievement and the effectiveness of the program. Is a test given to measure the
outcome variable after the experimental manipulation is implemented.

Pre – test. A test given to measure the outcome variable before the experimental
manipulation is implemented. Advance testing of something.

Writing skills- are specifics abilities, which can help writers to put their thoughts
into words in a meaningful form and to mentally interact with the message.

Theoretical Framework

The study is supported by the theories of well – known psychologist, authors and
educators.

Constructivism theory of learning of which the main proponent was Piaget (1930)
and Vygotsky focused on the premise that by reflecting on our experiences, we
construct our own understanding of the world we live in.

Relating this theory to the current study, students are responsible for their own
learning. With the help of reading comprehension, they obtained knowledge with their
own and actively make meaning of learning concepts by interacting with the content
along with the help of their own experiences and ideas. Students build on prior
knowledge to assimilate new meaning.

This theory shows that effective learning is through creating knowledge of the
students. Constructivist theories support the idea that the teacher is a guide, not the
direct deliverer of knowledge.

Cognition refers to the way we think and undergo processes to solve problems,
make decisions, and understand new information and experiences. Cognitive views of
learning refer to the happenings in person’s mind before, during, and after learning
takes place. The essence of this theory is that the most important part of learning takes
place in person’s mind.

This theory supports the study because it shows that reading comprehension is
key that enables the student to develop their higher ordered thinking skills and gaining
knowledge with their own.

The multiple intelligence theory proposed by Howard Gardner which analyzed

the better described the concept of intelligence and the theory stated that a child who
learned to multiply easily was not necessary more intelligent than a child who has
stronger skills in another kind of intelligence.

The multiple intelligent are spatial, interpersonal, linguistic, intrapersonal, logical,

mathematical, naturalistic and bodily – kinesthetic, existential and musical.

This theory is related to the study because it discusses about the individual
differences of the learners. The learners have their own intelligences based on the field
that they excel the most. Therefore, the teacher is given much opportunity to use variety
of strategies to solve problem of those students who are having difficulties in grammar.

The study is anchored on the above-mentioned theories that support that every
individual is unique in very different ways. Every learner encountered difficulties when it
comes to learning. However, this can be also enhanced by providing them appropriate
classroom experiences by using effective techniques and strategies especially in the
subject English.

Conceptual Framework

IV DV

Independent Variable Dependent Variable

 Performance in writing

2.1 Sentences

2.2 Paragraph

Performance on pretest and

post test

1.1 Subject – Verb Agreement

1.2 Tenses of verb
1.3 Part of Speech

output-proposal-module

Figure1. Hypothesized Difference between Variables

Figure 1 shows the conceptual framework of the study. The Independent

Variable represent the performance of students in in grammatical error in writing skills
committed by Grade 10 students in Subject - Verb Agreement, Tenses of the verb, Part
of speech, Sentences and Paragraphs.
 The first box is the independent variable and the second box is the
dependent variable. The two headed arrow signifies the difference between the pre –
test and post – test and performance in writing.

As shown in the figure above, the study determines if there is a relationship

between the knowledge level of the respondents and their performance in writing in
outputs- proposed module of the student respondents in grammatical error in writing
skills committed by Grade 10 students in Subject - Verb Agreement, Tenses of the verb,
Part of speech, Sentences and Paragraphs.
 Chapter II

REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE AND STUDIES

This chapter presents the review of related literature and studies both local and
foreign which have direct connections with the study.

Grammatical Error

A fundamental fact about English is that what is acceptable in speech is not

always acceptable in writing. When we speak, our listeners understand that we are
composing our sentences on the spur of the moment, and they are fairly tolerant of
derivations from Standard English. Unfair as it may seem, readers often judge the value
of what we have to say by the grammar we use in expressing it; and if you like to
consider a more immediate need, there is no honest way through college without being
able to write. One can’t simply hope to get into law, or medical school, engineering,
education, or any professional field- without a thorough knowledge of English--you will
have to write – memos, letters, summaries, etc.

Binh (2011) stated that the English of the Filipinos lacks subject-verb agreement
in present tenses as in the sentence “He go to school. His mother give him money to
buy a book.” This missing subject-verb agreement is one of the most notable
grammatical features of Philippine English.

Performance Writing

Furthermore, Binh (2011) also presented some difficulties of Filipinos in the use
of tenses of verbs such as: (1) over use of the present continuous tense to refer to
habits and routines as shown in the sentence; e.g. “He is going to school by bus every
morning”; (2) transitive verbs are treated as intransitive verbs; e.g. “I don’t like;” “I can’t
bear;” “Do you enjoy?” (3) prefer to use auxiliary verbs in present tense to those in past
tense; e.g. “He said he has finished the test”. In Tagalog (Filipino language), the subject
can come after the verb, for example: “I got sick” is translated in Tagalog as “Nagkasakit
ako” which means that the verb comes before the subject. Due to differences in
sentence structures grammar errors happen during translation. Since the subjects of
this study are Filipino teachers, the researcher believes in the importance of looking into
the grammar errors commonly committed by Filipinos especially in writing.

Ellis (1997) defined errors as gaps in a learner’s knowledge and they occur
because the learner does not know them; on the other hand, mistakes are occasional
lapses in performance in which the learner fails to perform what he or she knows.

Furthermore, Burns (2009) says that grammar is essentially about the systems
and patterns people use to select and combine word. By studying grammar people
come to recognize the structure and regularity which is the foundation of language and
people gain the tools to talk about the language system.

Bautista (2004) stated that the Philippines is a country where there are over 100
languages spoken. Examples of these languages are Tagalog, Cebuano, Hiligaynon,
Kapampangan, Ilocano, Ilonggo, Pangasinan, Kinaray-a, Waray, Chavacano, and
Bicolano. Philippines has many languages aside from English which is considered as a
second language. That is why it is common for Filipinos to switch between two
languages when speaking.

Gonzalez (1985) presented that Filipino English has features such as absence of
the definite article, pronoun-antecedent incongruence, subject-verb incongruence, using
transitive verbs for intransitive verbs, unusual use of verb forms and tenses, use of past
perfect tense for simple past or present perfect, and lack of tense sequence. In order to
determine deviations from the Standard American English (SAE).

Florendo (2012) discussed the Filipinos’ difficulty in the use of prepositions

through the data collected from University of the Philippines Baguio first year college
students such as: (1) different use of prepositions; e.g. I’m always content of what I
have and what I do not have; I write only when I am on the mood; (2) lack of
preposition; e.g. …they see me as a person who brags everything; (3) unnecessary use
of preposition; e.g. …now taking up an examination for a seaman (p.3). Florendo (2012)
emphasized that using prepositions are always a challenge for Filipinos.

After doing some investigating of research literature, we found some other

researchers who recognized that difficulties in grammar affects student performance not
only on school but also in other aspects of their lives.

Related Studies

Foreign

Pan (2009) studied on Chinese learners of English common sources of error,

and found out that most Chinese have difficulty in the third person singular form and the
plural endings ‘-s’ or ‘-es’. Though the source of error may seem ridiculous to other
learners of English, but the fact remains that one’s MT marked properties or the TL’s (in
this case, English) contribute to the learning of English. Thus, in this study, determining
the sources of error is included to rationalize the still significant contribution of one’s L1
in Learning an L2.

In addition, Ur (2009) describes grammar as the way a language operates and

combines words so as to express certain kinds of meaning, some of which cannot be
conveyed adequately by vocabulary alone. These include the way ideas are grouped
and related, and the purposes of utterances such as statement, question, request, etc.
Grammar may also serve to express time relations, singular or plural distinctions and
many other aspects of meaning. There are rules which govern how words have to be
manipulated and organized so as to express these meanings such as when a
competent speaker of the language will be able to apply these rules so as to convey his
or her chosen meaning effectively and acceptably.

Moreover, grammar may speak even louder and more insistently than those of
its denotation; most of the connotations carry a negative overtone, and yet many of the
connotations are based on misunderstandings of the basic definitions of the word.
Developing an awareness of the multiple connotations associated with the subject of
grammar may help English teachers to understand students’ potential aversion to
studying grammar, as well as their own difficulties or confusions about the subject
(Allen, 2013).

Similarly, Mellish and Ritchie (2008) articulate that in developing a grammar,

one has to devise a suitable set of grammatical categories to classify the words and
other constituents which may occur. It is important to understand that the mnemonic
names given to these categories are essentially arbitrary, as it is the way that the labels
are used in the rules and in the lexicon that gives significance to them.

Algeo and Pyles (2010) outline that grammar is sometimes defined as

everything in a language that can be stated in general rules, and lexis as everything that
is unpredictable. But that is not quite true. Certain combinations of words, called
collocations, are more or less predictable.

Additionally, Kirkham (2010) summarizes grammar, at its core, as the rules

of language. But how these rules are imagined and what these rules encompass can
vary greatly from definition to definition. As a result, the common understanding of
grammar differs in subtle but important ways from the linguistic sense of the term. In
the same way, Richards (2016) discloses that grammar is the system of rules used to
create sentences refers to the knowledge of parts of speech, tenses, phrases, clauses
and syntactic structures used to create grammatically well-formed sentences in English.
The rules for constructing grammatically correct sentences belong to sentence
grammar.

Local

Gustilo (2013) explored the relationship between writer’s performance, writer’s

resources, and writer’s idea generation process. Findings partly confirm the findings of
previous studies where the writer’s performance is correlated with all the variables
under study except for spelling test. However, in this study, global and specific errors
were the focus in determining the sources of their errors.
 Cabansag (2013) revealed that most of the students are proficient in structure
and grammar, but not so much in mechanics. The study also revealed the persistent
errors committed by the respondents in their written compositions, namely; use of verbs,
verb tenses, and proper use of capitalization. It revealed that there is no significant
relationship between the written language proficiency of the respondents and their
profile variables. It revealed further that there exists no significant relationship between
the persistent written language errors of the respondents and their profile variables.
Thus, in this study, demographic profile specifically social status and gender is not
included.

Lastly, errors arise from several general possible sources, two of which are
interlingual errors of interference from the native language, and intralingual errors within
the target language, context of learning and communication strategies (Brown,
2000:218 as cited in Haryanto, 2007).
 Chapter III

RESEARCH METHODOLOGY

This chapter presents the research method, respondents of the study,

instrument, data gathering procedure, validation of research instrument and the
statistical treatment of data.

Research Method

The methodological approach taken in this study followed a descriptive

quantitative research design to collect and analyze data. Data were collected using
sampling methods, sending out online questionnaires to teachers and distributing paper
questionnaires on students and hence turned into numbers, frequency percentages,
and averages of which interpretation led to research results.

According to Martyn Shuttleworth (September 26, 2011), the descriptive research

method primarily focuses on describing the nature of a demographic segment, without
focusing on “why” a particular phenomenon occurs. In other words, it “describes” the
subject of the research, without covering “why” it happens.

Meanwhile, Descriptive Correlational research design is concerned with

establishing relationships between two or more variables in the same population or
between the same variables in two populations (Silva, 2016). It will be used to
determine the Grammatical Errors in Writing Skills Committed by Grade 10 students:
Basis for Proposed Module at MinSU Laboratory High School, Bongabong, Oriental
Mindoro.

Respondents of the Study

The participants of this study were the students from Grade 10 Students at
MinSU Laboratory High School who were enrolled during the academic year 2021-2022.

The student – participants of this study were selected from the total population of
Grade 10 Students at MinSU Laboratory High School, Bongabong, Oriental Mindoro
randomly selected 12 students from the control group and 12 students from the
experimental group equally divided based on their General Weighted Average (GWA)
by the researcher. The students were divided into three categories above average (90
and above), average (80 -89) and below average (79 and below). Eight students from
each category were selected and combined into two to form two groups of 12.

Table 1.

Research Instrument

The researcher uses a set of self – made test as the instrument for this study. It
was consisted of questions about certain English grammar.

Validation of the Instrument

Prior to the administration of the research instrument, the researcher sought of

the assistance of the adviser for the revision and improvement of the questionnaire.

Data Gathering Procedure

Before conducting the study, the researcher sought the permission of the
principal of the school to allow the researcher to conduct the study, as well as the
permission of adviser of the participants.

Right after the approval, the study was immediately conducted to all Grade 10
both section A and B students and divide them into two groups. The first group as the
control group and the other group as the experimental group of the study. The groups
were given a self – made test for the pre – test. After conducting pre – test, the
researcher selected only 12 students’ pre – test from the total participants for the control
group and 12 students’ pre – test for the experimental group based on their General
Weighted Average (GWA) last school year.

Scoring and Quantification

In quantifying the scores in the questionnaire, the following scale was used.
Table 2. Level of Knowledge in Grammatical Error of the Students

Scores Statistical Limits Verbal Description

9 – 10 8.50 – 10.00 Excellent
7–8 6.50 – 8.49 Very Good
5–6 4.50 – 6.49 Good
3–4 2.50 – 4.49 Fair
0–2 0 – 1.49 Poor

Table 3. Performance in Writing

Scores Statistical Limits Verbal Description

17 – 20 16.50 – 20.00 Excellent
13 – 16 12.50 – 16.49 Very Good
9 – 12 8.50 – 12.49 Good
5–8 4.50 – 8.49 Fair
1–4 1.00 – 4.49 Poor

Statistical Treatment

The following statistical tools were utilized to answer the problems in this study.

Arithmetic Mean. This was used to determine the respondents’ average to the
items in the questionnaire and interpret their scores through the use of scales and
verbal description.

Formula:

x=¿
∑ fx
N

Where:
 x = mean

N = total number of the respondent

∑ fx = sum of the product of frequency and its score.

Frequency Percentage. This tool was used in the study to get the percentage of
the frequency of the scores of the student – respondents. It is a tool that is derived by
multiplying each of the relative frequency values by 100.

f
P= x 100
n

Where:

f = frequency

n = total number of respondents

T – test. This was used to test the significant difference between the pre – test
and post – test results.

( x1− x2 )
t=

√
2 2
Formula: ( SD 1 ) ( SD 2 )
+
n1 n2

Where:

t = T- test

x 1 = Arithmetic mean of the first variable

x 2 = Arithmetic mean of the second variable

 SD21 = Variance of the first variable

SD22 = Variance of the second variable

N1 = number of cases of the first variable

N2 = number of cases of the second variable

The reviewed studies were relevant to the present study since all the study
tackled the Grammatical Errors in Writing Skills Committed by Grade 10 Students: Basis
for Proposed Module.

The present study differs from the reviewed literature and studies in terms of
scope and variables considers as this study aims to determine the Grammatical Errors
in Writing Skills Committed by Grade 10 Students: Basis for Proposed Module.

Chapter IV

PRESENTATION, ANALYSIS, AND INTERPRETATION OF DATA

 This chapter presents the analysis and interpretation of the data gathered. Each
group of data analyzed and interpreted based on the problems raised in the study with
the corresponding tables for clear presentation of the results.

Before the conduct of the study, the control group was given the same methods
of instruction and with the same style of module, while the experimental group were
provided with the proposed module presented for this research. Then, an identical 15-
item pre-test was given to both the control group and the experimental group. Half an
hour after they took the said test, the following scores were observed:

EXPERIMENTAL GROUP (12 students) CONTROL GROUP (12 students)

14, 12, 12, 10, 9, 8, 8, 7, 5, 6, 5, 4 11, 12, 10, 9, 9, 7, 9, 6, 5, 6, 2, 4
Arithmetic Mean Arithmetic Mean
14+12+12+10+9+ 8+8+7+5+ 6+5+ 4 11+12+10+ 9+9+7+ 9+6+5+ 6+2+ 4
x=¿ x=¿
12 12
100 90
x=¿ x=¿
12 12
x=8.33 x=7.50

Paired T-Test Results:

P value and statistical significance:
The two-tailed P value equals 0.0437
By conventional criteria, this difference is considered to be statistically significant.

Confidence Interval:
The mean of the control Group minus Experimental Group equals 0.83
95% confidence inter of this difference: From 0.03 to 1.64

GROUP EXPERIMENTAL GROUP CONTROL GROUP

MEAN 8.33 7.50
SD 3.17 3.00
 SEM 0.92 0.87
N 12 12

Out of the 15-item pre-test given to the 2 sample groups, the controlled group got
an average score of 7.55 while the experimental group landed with an average score of
8.33, both indicating good performance. With this data, it has been identified that the
performance of the experimental group, being provided with the proposed module,
surpassed the control group with a small margin of 0.83.

Alongside these statistics, the researcher made use of the theory of error
analysis particularly the surface strategy taxonomy to delve deeper into which part of
English grammar the grade 10 students – respondents are having difficulty with.

Error Analysis: Surface Strategy Taxonomy

Error analysis is a method used to document the errors that occur in a learner's
speech, determine if these errors are systematic, and explain their causes whenever
possible. Surface strategy is a classification of errors proposed by Dulay, et al; it
emphasizes the way surface structure is altered. According to this, learners are often
committing 4 categories of errors: (1) omission, (2) addition, (3) misformation, and (4)
mis-ordering.

Based on the pre-test taken by the respondents – students, broken down below are the
areas they frequently make mistakes:

FREQUENCY OF ERRORS
AREAS
CONTROL GROUP EXPERIMENTAL GROUP

  FREQUENCY PERCENTAGE FREQUENCY PERCENTAGE

Subject-Verb Agreement        

Nouns ending in 's' 7 21.21% 3 13.64%

Indefinite pronouns as 9 27.27% 7 31.82%

 subjects

Connected subjects 12 36.36% 7 31.82%

Determining the noun

5 15.15% 5 22.73%
phrase

SUBTOTAL 33 30.00% 22 27.50%

Tenses of Verb        

Incorrect/ Shifting tenses 25 52.08% 20 50.00%

Perfect tenses 9 18.75% 9 22.50%

Progressive tenses 9 18.75% 6 15.00%

Incorrect irregular verbs 5 10.42% 5 12.50%

SUBTOTAL 48 43.64% 40 50.00%

Part of Speech        

Correlative conjunctions 5 17.24% 2 11.11%

Prepositions 13 44.83% 10 55.56%

Prepositional phrases 4 13.79% 3 16.67%

Articles 7 24.14% 3 16.67%

SUBTOTAL 29 26.36% 18 22.50%

TOTAL 110 100.00% 80 100.00%

Analyzing the data presented, it appears that the students – respondents are
finding it hard to perform well with English grammar particularly with the tenses of the
verb garnering a total percentage of 43.64% for the control group and 50% for the
experimental group. This is followed by the subject – verb agreement, earning 30% of
errors from the control group and 27.50% from the experimental group. Lastly, it seems
that the students were having less difficulty with the parts of speech with a total
percentage of errors of 26.36% and 22.50% for the control group and the experimental
group, respectively.

Chapter V
SUMMARY OF FINDINGS, CONCLUSIONS, AND RECOMMENDATIONS

This chapter represents the summary of findings, conclusions and

recommendations derived from the analysis and interpretation of the data in the
preceding chapter.

Summary of Findings
Referring to the categories of errors based on the surface strategy taxonomy, here are
the grammatical errors committed by the Grade 10 students – respondents of MinSU
Laboratory High School:

Omission Error – This error occurs when learners are removing word/s to the sentence
which are relevant to make it grammatically correct. Several forms of omission errors
are as follows:

EXAMPLES OF IDENTIFIED ERROR CLASSIFICATION OF ERROR

1 She eat* too little. Omission of -s/es to the verb

2 Your bag is * same as hers. Omission -definite article

3 The dog is bite* the bone. Omission of -ing to the verb

4 His job is only * watch. Omission of 'to' infinitive marker

5 I will take care you Omission of preposition

Addition Error – These are errors that can be identified by the presence of elements
that should not appear in a sentence or utterance.

EXAMPLES OF IDENTIFIED ERROR CLASSIFICATION OF ERROR

1 She was* gave birth. Addition of 'be' verb

Beside singing, she like to cook the*

2 food. Addition of definite article

3 I want to go to* home. Addition of preposition

Addition of a definite aticle before a plural

4 She bought a* three stickers. noun

5 She always speaks very fastly. Addition of adverbial derivation marker

Misformation Error – It is characterized by using the wrong morpheme or group of

morphemes and structures when the user uses one morpheme instead of another.
 EXAMPLES OF IDENTIFIED ERROR CLASSIFICATION OF ERROR

1 They doesn't* want that. Misformation of 'do' auxiliary in negation

2 My brother is a lazily* worker. Misformation of adverb for adjective

3 My cat has soft and *shine fur. Misformation of noun instead of Verb

Misformation of adjective instead of Adverb of

4 They sang very *happy. manner

5 This were* the papers. Misformation of 'be' instead of certain verb

Mis-ordering Error - Misplacement of a morpheme or group of morphemes in a

sentence.

EXAMPLE OF IDENTIFIED ERROR CLASSIFICATION OF ERROR

She forgot where *is the house. Mis-ordering

Conclusion
After conducting this research and thoroughly analyzing the data gathered, the
researcher found out that there is a significant difference in the performance of the
grade 10 students of MinsU Laboratory High School in pre – test and post – test in
Subject - Verb Agreement, Tenses of the verb, Part of speech, Sentences and
Paragraphs. After the experimental group have been presented with the proposed
module, their scores have earned a bit of a margin of increase. It was further evaluated
that despite being given with a revised module, they are still struggling with grammar,
specifically with the tenses of the verb which gained the majority of errors they have
committed in their tests. The most common classifications of their errors are omission
and misformation.

Suggestions
Some say that the message conveyed is the most important thing and that
grammar is just secondary. Although it might seem true for Filipino’s spoken English, it
is also inarguably correct that our country is falling behind the English proficiency skills
in Asia. Because of this, it has become imperative that we teach the current generation
of the proper usage of words and its syntax. There might be some misusage of words
that have become accepted over the years due to rampant and universal repetitive
utterance, some still needs correction as it was still not accepted linguistically.
In accordance with this, the researcher would like to suggest the following:

To the teachers:
Since the onset of the pandemic where blended learning has been introduced, it
is without a doubt that the students who were struggling with academics before went
into a rougher patch due to the additional barriers to education and the psychological
distress they were put into. It is recommended that the teachers should focus more in
unveiling different approaches in teaching their students and instilling knowledge. Also,
it is important that the educators deeply anchor their teaching modalities to the Bloom’s
taxonomy to better gauge and enhance their students’ learning capability.

To the learners:
Practice speaking English even more, read English books and watch English
movies. Try to mimic what they say. This way, you can be able to play by the ear in
distinguishing whether the sentence is correct or not. Try to learn at least 5 vocabulary
words each day and converse frequently in English.

To the future researchers:

The researcher of this study has high hopes and aspirations that the results of
this paper be of use to the future researchers who wish to explore more related papers
regarding grammatical error analysis and come up with even brighter findings that shall
be a great platform for the future generation to uplift our country’s English-speaking
proficiency back to glory.