An analysis of grammatical errors in the essay writings of 3rd year students. a case study of Wapuli Community Day Senior High School in the Saboba district

Abstract

This is a qualitative study that sought to analyse the grammatical errors in the essay writings of 3rd year students of Wapuli Community Day SHS. In the Saboba District. The study sought to identify the types of grammatical errors and the causes of the errors in the writings of students of Wapuli Community Day SHS. Data gathered analysis, total of 1,930 errors were identified from the 3rd year students’ essay topics. 8 error categories were identified as: spelling errors, preposition errors, verb tense form errors, punctuation errors, number errors, article errors, sentence fragment errors and concord errors. From the findings, it came to light that the causes of the learner’s errors in writing were as a result of Interlingua transfer, intralingua transfer and L1 interference. And this happens due to the context of teaching and the difference in the structure of the L1 and L2 as well as lack of practice on the part of the students. The study also discussed the role of learner’s errors and the pedagogical implications of the learner’s errors. Finally, the study made some suggestion and recommended that stakeholders should ensure that teachers are abreast of modern methods of teaching to guarantee effective teaching and learning of English language, to minimize the errors learners commit in their written essays.