CHAPTER 2

PRESENTATION, ANALYSIS, AND INTERPRETATION OF DATA

This chapter contains the researchers’ data organized in tables with a thorough

discussion on the influence of the student’s level of grammatical proficiency and

common errors in identifying parts of speech.

Table 1

Status of Respondents’ Grades in Structure of English

N=30

Status Grade Frequency Percentage

Excellent 1.0 - 1.2 0 -
Very Satisfactory 1.3 - 1.5 1 3.33%
Satisfactory 1.6 - 2.0 13 43.33%
Fair 2.1 - 2.5 15 50%
Good 2.6 - 3.0 1 3.33%
Failed 3.1 - 5.0 0 -
  30 100%

Table 1 reveals that half of the respondents had a "Fair" rating (2.1–2.5) in

the structure of English final grades with a frequency of fifteen (15) or 50%, while

respondents who had "Satisfactory'' rating (1.6–2.0) had a frequency of thirteen

(13) or 43.33%. On the other hand, only one (1) respondent, or 3.33%, has the

"Very Satisfactory'' status (1.3–1.5), and only one (1) respondent, or 3.33%, has

the "Good'' rating. These conclude that none of the students got an "Excellent"

rating, none of the respondents got a "Failed" rating, and most of them passed

the subject Structure of English with the rating "Fair" or "Satisfactory."

 Table 2

Respondents’ Level of Grammatical Proficiency in Identifying Parts of

Speech

N=30

Level of Ranging Respondents’ Frequency Percentage

Grammatical of Scores in
Proficiency Equivalent Grammatical
Grades Proficiency in
Identifying Parts
of Speech
Excellent 1.4-1.0 48-50 0 -
Very 1.5-1.3 45-47
Satisfactory 0 -
Satisfactory 2.0-1.6 40-44 0 -
Fair 2.5 – 2.1 35-39 5 16.67%
Good 3.0-2.6 30-34 5 16.67%
Failed 5.0-3.1 0-29 20 66.67%
Total 30 100%

Table 2 shows that more than half of the respondents got a "Failed" level

in the grammatical proficiency test in identifying parts of speech, with a frequency

of twenty (20) or 66.67% of the respondents. On the other hand, five (5)

respondents, or 16.67% percent, have a "Fair" level, five (5) respondents, or

16.67% percent, have a "Good" level, and none of the respondents have an

"Excellent" level of grammatical proficiency in identifying parts of speech. These

revealed that more than half of the respondents failed to identify the function of

the word in the sentence and failed the grammatical proficiency test in identifying

parts of speech. Only ten (10) out of thirty (30) respondents passed the

assessment in identifying parts of speech. Though respondents have done taking

the subject Structure of English still they have difficulties in identifying parts of

speech.

Widanti (2022) asserts that learning the parts of speech in English

grammar is vital since they play a crucial function in creating clear, grammatical

sentences. For students to comprehend grammatical explanations and apply the

appropriate word form, they must recognize and identify the many forms of words

in the English language (Munthe, 2022). The test's results were concerning

because English college students ought to be familiar with the fundamentals of

English grammar. They failed to recognize the word's function in the sentence,

which would have enabled them to comprehend it and know how to construct it

properly. According to Wati (2020), the proficiency in classifying parts of speech

of the students while reading the descriptive text was fair, which means they lack

interest in learning English. Their difficulties with different parts of speech, such

as nouns, verbs, adjectives, adverbs, conjunctions, and interjections, as well as

their lack of time for study and preference for play over homework, are all factors.

In connection to this, Santos, Fernandez, and Ilustre (2022) revealed that

throughout the years, a gradual deterioration in English language proficiency

among Filipinos based on the EF English Proficiency Index, the Test of English

for International Communication (TOEIC), and the average score of Filipino

IELTS takers. From 14th place in 2018 to 20th in 2019, the Philippines' dropped

to 27th in 2020. Though in 2021, the Philippines climbed to rank 18, it is still far

from its 13th ranking in 2016. Recently, the Philippines fell from 18th place in

2021 to 22nd place out of 111 countries in the latest edition of the English
Proficiency Index 2022. Despite the drop in rankings, the country received a

"high proficiency" level in English. It refers to "the ability to understand TV shows,

read newspapers in English, and make a presentation at work." (Manila Times,

2022).
 Table 3.1

Test Item Number No. of Average

Frequency
students
Common 9 16 2 25 30 31 37 50 of Errors
F Rank reporting % Reported
%
Errors error
1 6 2 10 6 5 10 0 21 70.00% 1.90 23.75%
Adverb 40 1
2 1 2 0 3 1 1 19 22 73.00% 1.32 16.48%
Noun 29 2
2 0 0 5 1 2 7 0 9 30.00% 1.70 21.25%
Verb 17 3
0 1 0 0 3 0 2 0 5 16.67% 1.00 12.50%
Interjection 6 4
0 1 0 0 2 2 0 0 5 16.67% 1.20 12.50%
Preposition 5 5.5
0 1 0 0 0 1 0 3 4 13.33% 1.25 15.63%
Pronoun 5 5.5
0 0 0 1 2 0 0 0 3 10.00% 1.00 12.50%
Conjunction 3 7

Total 105
Respondents’ Common Errors in Identifying Parts of Speech in Terms of
Adjective

Table 3.1 reveals that the dominant common error committed by the

respondents in identifying parts of speech in terms of adjectives is the adverb,

with the highest frequency of forty (40), and there were 21 or 70% out of thirty

(30) of the students who committed this error with a 1.90 average frequency of

error. It means that respondents were confused to identify between adjectives

and adverbs. Respondents were unable to write the correct response, which is

an adjective, and they wrote an incorrect answer, which is an adverb. For

example, the word “capable” that function as an adjective in the sentence,

respondents identified the word as adverb which is incorrect. In addition,

respondents also commit errors in identifying adjectives as verbs, interjections,

prepositions, pronouns, and conjunctions.

 According to Khamatova (2022), adjectives and adverbs are two closely

related word classes to provide additional information about other words.

Sometimes students are not sure when to use both of them. It is easy to confuse

adverbs and adjectives because they have similar functions. Both types of words

modify other words and help with describing or identifying. However, they differ

from the word they describe.

Furthermore, Muhamed (2014) revealed that students do not know how to

differentiate between adjectives, adverbs, and some nouns. Most of the learners

are not able to use the adjectives properly. Most of the students are unaware of

the derivational process for forming adjectives. According to Maulida (2009), as

cited in the study of Kurniasari, Priyantin, and Suryanti (2019), two factors may

affect students' errors in identifying adjectives: mother tongue interference and

lack of grammatical rules. The other factor may be a lack of exposure to English

grammar, especially adjectives. It may also be because of a lack of time and

socialization in learning English grammar; therefore, the students are not

interested in this subject, and as a result, they encounter some difficulties in

learning it.
 Table 3.2

Respondents’ Common Errors in Identifying Parts of Speech in Terms of

Adverb

Test Item Number No. of Average

Frequency
students
Common 4 8 20 28 34 41 47 F Rank reporting %
of Errors
%
Reported
Errors error
Adjective 3 8 11 3 4 6 10 45 1 20 66.67% 2.25 32.14%
Verb 0 4 6 2 3 2 1 18 2 13 43.33% 1.38 19.71%
Preposition 2 0 1 0 10 2 1 16 3 14 46.67% 1.14 16.33%
Interjection 1 2 2 2 3 0 0 10 4 8 26.67% 1.25 17.86%
Pronoun 0 1 1 1 0 1 3 7 5 6 20.00% 1.17 16.67%
Conjunction 0 3 1 1 0 1 0 6 6.5 6 20.00% 1.00 14.29%
Noun 1 0 0 0 4 0 1 6 6.5 5 16.67% 1.20 17.14%

Total 108

Table 3.2 illustrates that the most common error committed by the

respondents in identifying parts of speech in terms of adverbs were adjectives. It

has the highest frequency of forty-five (45), with twenty (20) students committing

this error with an average frequency of reported errors of 2.25 per respondent.

The lowest among the committed errors in terms of adverbs is the noun, with five

(5) students to have committed errors with an average frequency of 1.20. Also,

respondents failed to identify adverbs from verbs, prepositions, interjections,

pronouns, conjunctions, and nouns. This table clearly emphasized that the

respondents find it hard to distinguish the function of the word in a sentence.

They were confused between an adverb and an adjective in a sentence. For

example the word “definitely” that functions as an adverb in the sentence but the
respondents identify the word as an adjective. Respondents were confused

about the function of the word in the sentence.

According to Dissosway, Patricia; Hartford, as cited in Rutledge, J., &

Fitton, Z. (2015), there were three categories of adverb errors studied:

misplacement, confusion with other "form" word classes (e.g., adjectives), and

inappropriate usage. Suggested that current methods for teaching adverbs need

to be either substantially revised or redoubled at an early stage of instruction

because they appear to encourage errors. Results indicate that the students'

grammatical errors in using adverbs occurred for some reason. They are affected

by the different rules between the first and target languages. It is because of

insufficient students' knowledge of English grammar (Mustafa, 2021). According

to Murtajiah (2016), students have less knowledge about parts of speech and

have difficulties understanding the meaning or translating the word because they

are still confused with some parts of speech, especially adverbs, prepositions,

and articles.
 Table 3.3

Respondents’ Common Errors in Identifying Parts of Speech in Terms of

Conjunction

Test Item Number No. of Average

Frequency
students
Common 3 11 12 19 21 27 35 of Errors
Errors
F Rank reporting % Reported
%
error
Preposition 11 3 11 4 4 1 12 46 1 22 73.33% 2.09 29.87%

Adverb 2 0 0 1 1 6 10 20 2 16 53.33% 1.25 17.86%

Interjection 2 1 4 0 1 2 1 11 3 8 26.67% 1.38 19.64%

Noun 1 3 2 0 0 1 0 7 4 4 13.33% 1.75 25.00%

Pronoun 1 1 1 1 0 0 0 4 5 3 10.00% 1.33 19.05%

Adjective 0 1 0 0 0 0 1 2 6 2 6.67% 1.00 14.29%

Verb 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 1 7 1 3.33% 1.00 14.29%

Total 91

Table 3.3 presents the seven (7) common errors committed by the

respondents in identifying parts of speech in terms of conjunction. It revealed that

73.33% of the respondents committed errors in conjunction-preposition error with

the highest frequency of 45, while conjunction-verb error had the lowest

frequency of 1 and had one (1) student reporting an error. It indicates that the

respondents were unfamiliar with the difference between conjunction and

preposition in identifying parts of speech in English sentences. Instead of

conjunction, respondents answered preposition. For example, the word “before”

function as conjunction in the sentence respondents confused it as preposition.

However, respondents were more knowledgeable in identifying conjunction and

verb. People get confused between conjunctions and prepositions since both

have the same functions. However, conjunctions and prepositions have different
rules and are used differently in sentences. You can tell the difference between

the words by looking at the meaning and context of the relevant sentence.

According to Kim (2016), there are ten (10) commonly confused lexical

category dyads— conjunctions for prepositions, coordinators or subordinators

mistaken for adverbs, adverbs for conjunctions, gerunds for nouns, the adverb

almost for either an adjective or a noun, the pronoun for an adverb, adverbs for

nouns, the preposition to for an infinitive, and the adverbial for example for a

preposition.
 Table 3.4

Respondents’ Common Errors in Identifying Parts of Speech in Terms of

Noun

Test Item Number No. of Average

Frequency
students
Common 1 5 13 14 22 26 32 of Errors
Errors
F Rank reporting % Reported
%
error
Verb 15 2 1 19 9 7 0 53 1 27 90.00% 1.96 28.00%

Adjective 1 15 2 0 1 3 17 39 2 25 83.33% 1.56 22.29%

Adverb 0 1 1 3 3 2 2 12 3 9 30.00% 1.33 19.00%

Interjection 0 1 3 1 4 0 0 9 4 8 26.67% 1.13 16.07%

Preposition 0 2 1 0 0 1 0 4 5 2 6.67% 2.00 28.57%

Pronoun 1 0 1 0 1 0 0 3 6 3 10.00% 1.00 14.29%

No 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 1 7.5 1 3.33% 1.00 19.00%

Response
Conjunction 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 1 7.5 1 3.33% 1.00 14.29%

Total 122

Table 3.4 shows the eight (8) categories of common errors committed by

the respondents in identifying parts of speech in terms of nouns. Among the

categories, it reveals that the majority of respondents committed errors in

identifying nouns as verbs and adjectives. Twenty-seven (27) out of thirty (30) or

90% of the respondents committed noun-verb error with the highest frequency of

fifty-three (53), and twenty-five (25) or 83.33% of the respondents committed

noun-adjective error with a frequency of 39. However, the lowest among the

categories were "no response and conjunction," with an equal frequency of one

(1), and only one (1) respondent reported committing such an error. The result

means most respondents were confused about the differences or functions of

nouns and verbs and nouns and adjectives in a sentence. The correct response

is noun but the respondent answered verb. For example the word “reading” that

function as a noun however respondents identified it as verb which is incorrect.

Respondents were more familiar with identifying nouns from conjunctions.

Contrary to the study of Lantigue et al. (2018), the study revealed that the

respondents are more familiar with using "nouns" and "verbs" in the identification

of parts of speech in English sentences. Hence, a few respondents commit an

error in identifying the said confusion.

 Table 3.5

Respondents’ Common Errors in Identifying Parts of Speech in Terms of

Preposition
Test Item Number No. of Average
Frequency
students
Common 7 15 38 39 42 44 46 of Errors
Errors
F Rank reporting % Reported
%
error
Conjunction 5 2 14 7 5 2 7 42 1 22 73.33% 1.91 27.29%

Adverb 13 5 10 2 0 0 3 33 2 21 70.00% 1.57 22.43%

Interjection 0 1 0 3 2 0 1 7 3 5 16.67% 1.40 20.00%

Adjective 2 2 0 1 0 0 0 5 4.5 5 16.67% 1.00 14.29%

Verb 0 2 1 1 0 1 0 5 4.5 3 10.00% 1.67 23.86%

Pronoun 1 0 0 1 1 1 0 4 6 4 13.33% 1.00 14.29%

Noun 0 1 0 0 2 0 0 3 7 3 10.00% 1.00 14.29%

Total 99

As per Table 3.5, the most common error reported by the students in

identifying parts of speech in terms of prepositions is the "preposition-conjunction

error". It has a frequency of forty-two (42), with 22 students, or 73.33%, reported

to have committed this error. The second category is prepositional-adverb error,

with twenty-one (21) out of 30 or 70% of the respondents committing errors with

a frequency of thirty-three (33). In contrast, the lowest error reported was the

"preposition-noun error," as seen in the table above, which has a frequency of 3,

and three (3) respondents were reported to commit this error. The respondents

failed to recognize the exact answer which is preposition, thus making many

errors in identifying prepositions in English sentences. Respondents answered

conjunction instead of preposition. For example the word “since” that function as

preposition in the sentence the respondents answered conjunction. They were

still confused about which parts of speech the word belonged to.
 The result was contrary to the study of Lantigue et al. (2018), who found

that the majority of the students committed errors in preposition-adverb

confusion. Cuyckens and Radden 2002, as cited by Lantigue et al. (2018) state

that prepositional and adverbial particles in the English language demonstrate

varied meanings, some of which are very challenging and require high cognitive

and mental work on the part of language users. Many scholars considered it

confusing for language users, and ESL teachers, particularly those whose native

languages' prepositions and adverb particle systems are different or have no

such functional words that function differently from English language prepositions

and adverb particles. Therefore, students often found it hard to identify the

prepositional adverb category.

 Table 3.6

Respondents’ Common Errors in Identifying Parts of Speech in Terms of

Pronoun

Test Item Number No. of Average

students Frequency
Common 2 6 18 17 40 45 49 F Rank reporting %
of Errors
%
Reported
Errors error
Adjective 6 2 5 3 4 2 0 22 1 15 50.00% 1.47 20.95%

Adverb 2 4 1 7 6 0 1 21 2.5 17 56.67% 1.24 17.71%

Noun 2 0 1 5 7 0 6 21 2.5 15 50.00% 1.40 20.00%

Preposition 4 5 4 2 1 0 0 16 4.5 9 30.00% 1.78 25.40%

Interjection 0 4 1 2 0 9 0 16 4.5 13 43.33% 1.33 17.58%

Conjunction 1 3 3 1 0 0 1 9 6 7 23.33% 1.29 18.37%

Verb 0 0 0 1 0 2 0 3 7 2 6.67% 1.50 21.43%

Total 108

Table 3.6 illustrates that the common errors of the thirty (30) respondents

in identifying parts of speech in terms of pronouns are adjectives, adverbs, and

nouns. It revealed that the said errors have almost equal frequency with

“pronoun-adjective error” being the highest with the frequency of twenty-two (22)

and half of the respondents were reported to commit this error. The lowest

among all errors was the "verb error," which consists of a frequency of 2 students

reporting an error. It revealed that the respondents were having difficulty in

identifying pronouns from adjectives. For example the word “these” that function

as pronoun respondent identified it as adjective. Respondents still struggle to

identify a pronoun from other types of parts of speech in English sentences

specifically in adjectives based on frequency and percentage. Respondents

answered adjective, adverb and noun instead of pronoun which is the correct

response.
 The most common error committed by the respondent which is “pronoun-

adjective error” was also found in the study of Lantigue et al. (2018). In their

study this error is at the second rank among all the errors. According Dilfuza

(2022), a transition from one part of speech to another would become

possible provided that the given word loses the features of one part of speech

and acquires the features of another part of speech. Pronouns and adjectives

sometimes look so similar. The uses for adjectives and pronouns often overlap.

For example, possessive adjectives and possessive pronouns have the same

function: they both show ownership. However, an adjective’s primary function is

to describe a noun or pronoun, and a pronoun’s primary function is to limit

repetitiveness. With that, at times, certain pronouns can function as adjectives.

Just like pronouns, there are several different types of adjectives. There are

descriptive, possessive, demonstrative and interrogative adjectives

(Dictionary.com, 2017).
 Table 3.7

Respondents’ Common Errors in Identifying Parts of Speech in Terms of

Verb

Test Item Number No. of Average

students Frequency
Common 10 43 23 33 36 29 48 F Rank reporting %
of Errors
%
Reported
Errors error
Adverb 7 8 4 1 5 1 2 28 1 16 53.33% 1.75 25.00%

Preposition 0 0 4 2 2 2 0 10 2.5 6 20.00% 1.67 23.81%

Conjunction 0 2 4 0 0 1 3 10 2.5 8 26.67% 1.25 17.86%

Interjection 0 1 3 1 3 0 1 9 4.5 7 23.33% 1.29 18.43%

Noun 0 1 1 1 4 2 0 9 4.5 7 23.33% 1.29 18.43%

Adjective 0 4 0 1 3 0 0 8 6.5 7 23.33% 1.14 16.29%

Pronoun 1 1 1 1 3 1 0 8 6.5 7 23.33% 1.14 16.29%

Total 82

Table 3.7 presents the seven (7) categories of common errors in

identifying parts of speech in terms of verbs. It shows that respondents most

common error committed was "verb-adverb error" with the highest frequency of

twenty-eight (28), with sixteen (16) out of thirty (30) respondents reporting error,

while "pronoun and adjective errors" have the lowest frequency, with a frequency

of eight (8), seven (7) students reporting error, with an average frequency of

errors reported of 1.14. The result was that respondents were confuse about verb

and adverb that they answered adverb instead of verb which the correct answer.

For example the word “seems” that function as a verb in the sentence some of

the respondents identified it as adverb. Also, it indicates that the respondents

were more acquainted to identify verbs from adjectives and pronouns in

identifying parts of speech in English sentences. Hence, few respondents

committed errors in the said error.

 With the result, this goes to imply that the students are not founded in the

different types of verb. Verbs are supposed to be easiest to identify since it is the

main predicate in the sentence it means that the pattern is that verb always

follow the subject of the sentence. It is seldom for the verbs to be confused with

other parts of speech since no studies reveal this case. The errors that are

mostly found in the usage of verbs are tenses and forms. For example in the

sentence “He seems tired’’, the underline word to be identify is “seems” which

function as verb but respondents identified it as adverb. Respondents thought

that the word ‘’tired” in the sentence is the verb, which leaded them to a

misconception that the word ‘’seems’’ is an adverb that modifies the word “tired”.

Finally, according to Leith (1983 as cited by van Rijt, de Swart, Wijnands,

& Coppen, 2019), The word ‘book’ for example can act variously as a noun, a

verb, or an adjective (nominalized) depending on its function in the sentence: I’ll

book him for that foul. (verb) Give me that book. (noun) Boys get trapped in the

boring book syndrome. (adjective) This mobility of word class in English, or

functional shift, as it is sometimes called, causes learners of the metalanguage

difficulties for two reasons. Firstly, the spelling of the word cannot be relied upon

to give clues as to word class. The -ing and -ed inflected endings of verbs may

well indicate a verb, but as participles, they may also be nouns or adjectives. The

second area of difficulty prompted by functional shift is that knowledge of a

word’s existence as, say, a noun does not mean that its function in a sentence

will always be as a noun, as we have seen above with the word ‘book’.
 At the heart of this confusion is a misconception regarding the fixedness of

word class in English which teachers and textbooks rarely acknowledge. Indeed

the tendency to write example lists of word classes in isolation from usage

encourages learners to believe that if ‘table’ is a concrete noun it is always a

concrete noun, and if ‘dance’ is a verb, it is always a verb. Part of the challenge

for teachers of grammar is to discourage learners from the conception of

grammar as the naming of parts, but rather to see word class in terms of

meaningful relationships between words within sentences and texts: It’s a matter

of recognizing that grammar is not just a box of labels in a dissection

laboratory but a living force used every moment words are uttered. (Keith, 1997

as cited by van Rijt et. al. 2019).

 Table 4
Relationship between Students’ Grades in Structure of English and Their
Level of Grammatical Proficiency in Identifying Parts of Speech

Correlatio
Correlation Test n p-value Interpretation Decision
Coefficient
Significant,
0.41 Reject the
Moderate
Pearson 0.0245 null
Positive
hypothesis
Relationship

Table 3 showed a moderate positive correlation between students’ grades

in Structure of English and their level of grammatical proficiency in identifying

parts of speech. The higher the grades of respondents, the higher the level of

grammatical proficiency in identifying parts of speech. Specifically, a higher level

of grammatical proficiency in identifying parts of speech was evident to

respondents who had higher grades in Structure of English. Moreover, moderate

correlation means that the status of respondents’ grades serves as a reasonable

determining factor of how proficient they are in identifying parts of speech.

The result was supported by the study of Racca and Lasaten (2016),

which revealed a significant relationship between the student’s English language

proficiency and their academic performance in English. The higher the students'

English language proficiency levels, the higher their academic performance

levels in English.

In addition, the study of Ghenghesh (2015) revealed a significant but

moderate positive relationship between the student’s proficiency in English and

their overall academic success. Specifically, the higher the English proficiency of
students, the better they performed in their degree area courses as well as in

their English levels.