Error analysis of subject verb agreement in EFL learners’ writings
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Date
2017
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university of Oum- El- Bouaghi
Abstract
The Objective of this study is to investigate subject verb agreement errors made by undergraduates: first and second year English LMD students at L'Arbi Ben M'hidi University - Oum El Bouaghi. Error Analysis technique was used in this research to identify students' errors and to explain their sources. For the purpose of testing the research hypotheses, a descriptive analytical approach was used. Forty students' exam copies of written expression were randomly chosen and analyzed. Error Analysis procedures specified by Ellis (1997) were adopted to detect the main sources of such errors. The data obtained from the analysis of students' writings confirmed only the first research hypothesis in that students' errors in the use of subject verb agreement have other sources than first language interference.The findings reject the second hypothesis which claims that first year LMD students make more SVA errors than second year LMD students. Thus, it was concluded that English undergraduates are still facing problems in applying subject verb agreement rules in their writings and that French interference in addition to the students' lack of knowledge of the target language rules are the main sources causing subject verb agreement errors.
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Keywords
Error analysis, Subject verb agreement