Analysis of errors in student’s essays the case of form two students of Ghana senior high school Tamale

Abstract

This is a qualitative study that analyzed errors in the written essays of form two students of Ghana Senior High School in Tamale. The study sought to find out the types and causes of errors in the written essays of students in the Senior High Schools. The data used for the analysis of the errors comprised written essays of the students in form two. From this, a total of 2,128 errors were identified from two essay topics. seven error types were identified and they include concord errors, punctuation errors, spelling errors, tense errors, article errors, and errors of preposition. From the study, concord errors had the highest frequency with errors on punctuation being the lowest. Based on the findings of the study, causes of errors in learners‟ writings were identified as interlingual transfer, intralingual transfer, context of instruction as well as L1 interference. The pedagogical implications of the errors in the students‟ essays have also been discussed in the study. Finally in the study, some suggestions are made to various stakeholders to ensure effective teaching and learning of the English Language in the senior High Schools in Ghana.