




































Journal al-Lisan 
ISSN 2442-8965 & E ISSN 2442-8973 
Volume 3 Nomor 1 -Februari 2018 
http://journal.iaingorontalo.ac.id/index.php/al 

 
 

23 
 

SENTENCE ERRORS ON STUDENTS’ BACHELOR THESIS OF 

ENGLISH EDUCATION DEPARTMENT  

 

Diana S. Rahman 

(Mahasiswa Pascasarjana Universitas Negeri Jogyakarta) 

Email: diana_rahman24@yahoo.co.id 

 

ABSTRACT 

The aims of this research are to find out the common sentence errors on students’ 

bachelor thesis of English Education Department and to find out the amount of sentence 

errors on students’ bachelor thesis of English Education Department. Those should be the 

reference material in evaluating and teaching English subject. This research used the 

qualitative method by technic of collecting the data such as observation sheet and 

documentation. The researcher used surface strategy taxonomy to analysis the datum. 

That consists of omission, addition, misfomation, and misordering. The result of research 

showed that the biggest error in writing sentence on students’ bachelor thesis of English 

Education Department was addition by 81 sentences. The second error was misformation 

by 30 sentences. Then, omission was 19 sentences. Thus, the smallest error in writing 

sentences on students’ bachelor thesis was misordering by 17 sentences. 

 

Tujuan penelitian ini adalah menemukan kesalahan-kesalahan kalimat yang umum 

terjadi pada skripsi Mahasiswa Pendidikan Bahasa Inggris dan menemukan jumlah 

kesalahan-kesalahan kalimat pada skripsi Mahasiswa Pendidikan Bahasa Inggris. Hal 

ini dapat menjadi bahan acuan atau rujukan untuk pembelajaran bahasa Inggris. 

Penelitian ini menggunakan metode kualitatif dengan tehnik pengumpulan data berupa 

lembar observasi dan dokumentasi. Peneliti menggunakan strategi siasat permukaan 

(surface strategy taxonomy) untuk menganalisis data. Strategi siasat permukaan terdiri 

dari penghilangan, penambahan, salah formasi, dan salah susun. Hasil penelitian ini 

menunjukkan bahwa kesalahan terbesar menulis kalimat pada skripsi Mahasiswa 

Pendidikan Bahasa Inggris adalah penambahan dengan 81 kalimat. Kesalahan kedua 

adalah salah formasi dengan 30 kalimat. Kemudian, penghilangan dengan 19 kalimat. 

Dengan demikian kesalahan terkecil adalah salah susun dengan 17 kalimat.  

    

Keywords: Analysis, Surface Strategy Taxonomy, Students’ Bachelor Thesis, Sentence 

Errors. 

 

  

 

 

 

 



Journal al-Lisan 
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24 
 

A. Introduction   

Bachelor thesis is the scholarly paper that discuss about the problem or 

phenomena in the specific science by using the right rules. The observation of 

problem or phenomena can be found on the education environment. It will be 

written or arranged through the planning activity and realization activity until 

finding the result of research based on the analysis of datum. Because students are 

arranged or written not only as the form of academic assignment but also 

compulsory as the part of the requirement of education to get the success or passing.        

The research is operational of scientific method. It is the effort to solve 

the problem based on the steps on scientific method. Therefore, bachelor thesis 

has the purpose to enable the student to write the research in accordance to 

academic writing. The research has the aims to develop the science from the 

various knowledge. Thus, the result can use to define new theories, to prove 

theories, and to develop theories. 

Based on the aims above, thus bachelor thesis becomes the obviously 

for college and university to get their scholar. Students’ custom to do the research 

and to describe phenomena based on research and academic writing. However, 

many students find difficulties in doing good bachelor thesis. One of the 

difficulties is using academic writing especially when they write in English 

language.  

The writing of bachelor thesis that uses English language is not easy 

for everyone. The knowledge about English grammar and sentence is very 

important to write the bachelor thesis. Thus, the writer is not only easy to arrange 

the sentence but also it can be understood by the reader. Because of that, the right 

sentence is one of the requirements in academic writing included bachelor thesis. 

Therefore, the sentence must arrange grammatically based on grammar rules in 

English. The students should be able to understand how to write English sentence 

a good order on composing their bachelor thesis.  

Sentence error analysis, then make the students learn how to identify 

or to analysis their error in writing. The researcher wants to observe some 

bachelor thesis in order to find out the general error of students when they write 

their bachelor thesis. There were four types of sentences commonly. They are 

omission, addition, misformation, and misordering. The researcher interested to 

do error analysis on students’ bachelor thesis of English Education Department 

because some reasons that I said above.  

The students demand to be able to compose grammatical sentence on 

their bachelor thesis. However, in the pre-observation research, the researcher 

found some bachelor thesis containing many sentence errors. Therefore, it is 

important to know the common error which students made bachelor thesis. 

  

B. Research Method 

The method of this research is qualitative research. It is based on the 

research focus; to analysis the sentence errors on students’ bachelor thesis of 

English Department at IAIN Sultan Amai Gorontalo. The research also used the 

content analysis. Content analysis is a research technique for making inferences 



Journal al-Lisan 
ISSN 2442-8965 & E ISSN 2442-8973 
Volume 3 Nomor 1 -Februari 2018 
http://journal.iaingorontalo.ac.id/index.php/al 

 
 

25 
 

by systematically and abjectly identifying specified characteristics within a text. 

In another definition by Bernald Barelson, content analysis is defined as “a 

research technique for the objective, system and quantitative description of 

manifest content of communication. The requirement of the technique to be 

“objective” and “systematic” is of course subsumed under the requirement of 

reliability in our definition (Klaus Krippendorff, Content Analysis,Volume 5 : 21). 

Then the same definition argued by Fred N. Kerlinger, “Content analysis is a 

method of studying and analyzing communications in a systematic, objective, and 

qualitative manner to measure variables.”( Soejono and Abdurrahman, 2005 : 12)  

The subject of this research is the students’ bachelor thesis of English 

Department in IAIN Sultan Amai Gorontalo. A number of bachelor thesis that 

become subject were 16 bachelor thesis because there are many errors on those 

bachelor thesis when the researcher did the free observation. Then, the researcher 

took 2 bachelor thesis every year. This research used the purposive sampling to 

take the samples (Suharsimi Arikunto, 2013 : 83) 

The technic of data collecting in this research used observation and 

documentation.  This research will use the stage of observation according to 

Spradly such as: a) description observation, b) focused observation, c) selected 

observation. By doing observation, the researcher can see and record the sentence 

errors on students’ bachelor thesis. Then, there are three activities to analysis data; 

data reduction, data display, and conclusion drawing/verification (Sugiyono, 2015 : 

245-246) Then, researcher used the surface strategy taxonomy to analysis and 

identify the sentence errors on students’ bachelor thesis. 

 

C. Discussions 

 

a. The Types of Sentence Errors on Students’ Bachelor thesis of English 

Education Department 

Table 4.1 Omission Errors 

No. Types of 

error 

(Omission) 

Sentence Errors 

1. Omission of 

Subject 

1. Motive can not detect directly but can intreped in their 

attitude or behavior 

2. So will create a harmonious two-way relationship 

between teachers and students 

3. So have to make the library study 

4. but can not to write. 

5. will increase the researchers’ knowledge 

6. is expected to increase the vocabulary 

2. Omission of 

Verb 

 

 

1. The process of conducting the learning system between 

teacher and students at the school 

2. When the teacher teaching in front of the class 

3. While use of media in the process of learning English 



Journal al-Lisan 
ISSN 2442-8965 & E ISSN 2442-8973 
Volume 3 Nomor 1 -Februari 2018 
http://journal.iaingorontalo.ac.id/index.php/al 

 
 

26 
 

 

 

very supportive 

4. The learning process using the right media 

5. Then from this case I choice a method 

6. As for other countries using English as a second 

language 

7. The significant of this research  the effect of picture 

media 

8. Such as articles, Present and Continous, Preposition of 

Time, Past Tense, Present Perfect Tense, Indirect 

Speech, Past Continous Tense, Yes/No Question in past 

tense, Connectives, Simple past forms of “be”, Simple 

past forms  of reguler verbs, Simple past forms of 

irreguler verbs, Relational voice (simple past), Question 

Tags, Reported speech (a review), Causative “have”. 

(ommision Verb). 

3. Omission of 

Determiner 

1.  A teacher should be doing planning and evaluation of 

all actions to be taken 

4. 

Omission of 

Preposition 

1. The teacher should give the guidance and motivation 

about important improving reading interest 

2. Even though for us Indonesia society show that 

education 

3. I try give an idea to a teacher as collaborator 

5. Omission of 

Punctuation 

1. So as a researcher I am doing to research does the 

picture media influence to student’s vocabulary 

mastery at SMP N 4 Limboto? 

 

Table 4.2 Addition Errors 

No. Types of 

error 

(Addition) 

Sentence Errors 

1. Simple 

addition 

1. It cause in writing students are given time to analyzed 

it’s word 

2. Which must analyzed to lesson the error of translation 

result 

3. The students to reading fom itself 

4. So the researcher want to know what are causes that 

make them get high achievement of study 

5. The teacher have to increase 

6. The teacher have to know the all characters and 

functions as the teacher 

7. From the result of research that have gotten in class VII 

BP 1 at MTs. Negeri Model Limboto 

8. Teacher use in teaching process 

9. Teacher need to apply the mode or learning  



Journal al-Lisan 
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27 
 

10. The researcher need to do 

11. Teacher help the young learner to acquire or practice 

the language. 

12. Teacher of the young learner have to create a good 

atmosphere 

13. The teacher duty in learning and studying process 

consits of pedagogies duty and administration duty. 

14. Because teacher have creativity 

15. The writer suggest some maters 

16. The teacher must used the different method in teaching 

vocabulary 

17. One approach to instructional media that have a level of 

active student learning 

18. Picture are medium or media in the forms of posters, 

paintings, photographs, caricatures, etc. 

19. Data were analized by three ways namely data 

reduction, data display. 

20. Overcoming barries to increased use of picture student 

learning 

21. An alternative to teaching vocabulary in English 

22. The students must mastered the four basic language 

skills 

23. The fourth is used to respond to or create a discourse in 

public life 

24. The learner could not communicate to other clearly, 

could not understand to read books, could not to write 

and could not understant in listening 

25. When student have more vocabulary 

26. Student could not to speak 

27. This research want look 

28. The Educational and Economic Problem was caused of 

country progres 

29. As author I addressed  that both of method of learning 

are have relation meaning 

30. These could proved with the result of observation 

31. I wanting to increase about 75% students get 

70%achievement 

32. many students doesn’t have interest in reading 

33. other researchers to doing advanced research and 

development 

34. Other researchers to doing advanced research and 

development 

35. The four skills were used to respond to or create 

discourse in public life. 

36. This is some factors that influence the person or the 

people can not to speak. 



Journal al-Lisan 
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28 
 

37. The people can not to speak 

38. The four skills were used to respond to or create 

discourse in public life. 

39. The researcher make conclusion 

40. The teacher give example of biography Muhammad 

Yamin 

41. The researcher make some suggestion for English 

teacher, students, and institution 

42. For the students if students want to reading 

comprehention 

43. Researcher does several obsevation in class, to 

observed the students speaking skills during the 

learning process in teaching English 

44. The researcher explain about vocabulary 

45. The researcher make conclusion 

46. Students in middle scholl still has a limited vocabulary 

47. For example to doing conversation with all the people 

in the world 

48. The reasearch want to analyzed the students’ 

competence 

49. The research have a suggestion after did this research 

50. The researcher want to discuss about Question taqs (taq 

question) 

51. The reasearch want to analyzed the students’ 

competence 

2. 

Double 

markings 

1. They learn tranfer from thinking to be writing language 

2. Because the students in this scholl are have motivation 

in learn especially English learning process. 

3. The implemention of good method and strategy are will 

get the quality of education 

4. Good method and learning strategy are will getting 

improving study achievement of students 

5. It is depend on the method 

6. They need play with words 

7. The important duty of teacher is do some activities or 

agenda 

8. The teacher creativity must be have to motivate student 

9. The students didn’t found punishment from Mahkamatul 

Lugho 

10. 1’m not took explain what the relation are but only tool 

for a research theme instead 

11. There could be understand about the term 

12. I want to try to apply 

13. I formulated for aim of my research is to know does the 

application of relo-play  method can be increase the 

students’ speaking ability 



Journal al-Lisan 
ISSN 2442-8965 & E ISSN 2442-8973 
Volume 3 Nomor 1 -Februari 2018 
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29 
 

14. That is was proves by their activity in Role Playing 

15. Then the method influences to learning process 

16. this research want look same with other 

17. The interest in reading and ability hopeful could gave 

implication theoretical and practical. 

18. The many interest reading can help increase vocabulary 

19. Confused to diction that must used in context that 

different 

20. Or can to express but can not to write. 

21. They are not have confident 

22. They are not have self confidence to speak in front of 

class or their friends. 

23. They are not have ability to speak 

24. They are feel shy, and be afraid 

25. this research is expected increase students’ speaking 

ability 

26. Teachers are also required to can develop the skills 

27. They just want to learn is by planning 

28. that students can to improve students’ vocabulary 

3. Double 

Subject 

1. The most difficult it will be for them to perform the 

activity of language. 

2. Guessing Game it is strategy to interest 

 

Table 4.3 Misformation Errors 

No. 

Types of 

Error 

(Misformation

) 

Sentence Errors 

1. Archi-forms 1. There is some various students’ ability on translation and 

grammatical mastery 

2. of course reading is not the one of way for that 

3. There are two variable 

4. I present some suggestion 

5. English subject matter is one of subject 

6. Beside personality of the teacher it selves 

7. One of the factor to get succes in the learning process 

8. MTs. Negeri Model Limboto is one of the best school in 

gorontalo province 

9. It has some conclusion as shown below 

10. Picture is one of the media 

11. Teachers and students itself that do it. 

12. In the teaching learning process the teacher also must 

use some kind of approaches 

13. The important duty of teacher is do some activities or 



Journal al-Lisan 
ISSN 2442-8965 & E ISSN 2442-8973 
Volume 3 Nomor 1 -Februari 2018 
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30 
 

agenda 

14. This factor can be divided to two factor 

15. Vocabulary is one of the important aspect in learning a 

foreing language 

16. The students can take some information to identify their 

speaking ability 

17. the population is the all student at class XI and to take 

the sample used the purposive sampling technique 

18. in this research the population is the all student at 

second Grade 

19. This research there is two variable 

20. Some factor that influence the person or the people 

21. The researcher make some suggestion for English 

teacher, students, and institution 

22. The goal of improving some aspect of comprehention 

23. From two suggestion above 

2. 

Regulation 

1. The one of main reason why the studentd not get success 

in teaching learning process 

2. Who not have expert to do activities or duty as a teacher 

3. We saw there many govermnets’ program to develop 

country’s quality 

3. Misformation 

of Verb 

1. students’ can tell everything they thing 

2. The researcher hope the teacher soul give help for the 

student 

4. Misformation 

of Spelling 

1. The teacher can improve and develop the vocabury 

mastery 

5. Misformation 

of Subject 

1. the research hope this suggetion can be attetion for 

everyone 

Table 4.4 Misordering Errors 

No. Types of 

Error 

(Misordering) 

Sentence Errors 

1. Misordering of 

adverb 

1. Based on above opinion can be known that reading is a 

process for obtain the information 

2. Based on above condition, the writer performs a research 

3. Based on the above exposure 

4. Based on the above description of an attempt to improve 

the English 

2. Misordering of 

Aphostrophe 

1. By speaking students’ can tell everything 

2. That the students ‘vocabulary is still very low 

3. that the students ‘vocabulary is still very low 

3. Misoredring of 

Noun phrase 

1. As for other countries using English as a second language 

as Malaysia country and India 

2. to improve student’s vocabulary trough games quartet in 

seventh grade junior high school 



Journal al-Lisan 
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31 
 

3. Question taqs must be studied because if we would like to 

ask with giving affirmation we can be used Question 

Taqs. We usually use question taqs in conversation. 

4. A question taq consists of two words. 

5. The using of Question taqs for the students of Junior High 

School is a new thing. 

6. That the use of question taqs is not easy. 

7. the students’ competence on Question taqs in SMP Negeri 

3 Bolangintang Barat. 

8. So the researcher would like to do a research about “An 

Analysis of Students’ Competence on Question taqs” 

9. The aim of research of this observation is to know is the 

students’ competence on Question taqs 

10. To improve student’s vocabulary trough games quartet in 

seventh grade junior high school 

 

b. The Amount of Sentence Errors on Students’ Bachelor thesis of 

English Education Department 

 

Table 4.5 The Amount of Sentence Errors 

No. 

The 

year 

of 

bache

lor 

thesis 

The title of bachelor thesis 

The types of error 

O
m

issio
n

 

A
d

d
itio

n
 

M
isfo

rm
a
tio

n
 

 

M
iso

rd
erin

g
 

 

1 

 

 

 

2009 

 

1. The Tenses Analysis of Translation 

Result in English Sentences 

2. A Correlation Between Students’ 

Reading Interest and Their 

Achievement in English Learning At 

The First Grade Students of MAN 

Limboto 

 

1 

 

 

4 

 

 

4 

 

 

2 

 

2  

2010 

 

1. The Using Of Picture to Develop 

English Vocabulary for Young 

Learner 

2. The Implementation of Active 

Learning Method in Improving 

Student’s Motivation at Class VII 

Bina Prestasi 1 of MTs. Negeri 

Model Limboto 

 

2 

 

 

15 

 

 

7 

 

 

 

 



Journal al-Lisan 
ISSN 2442-8965 & E ISSN 2442-8973 
Volume 3 Nomor 1 -Februari 2018 
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32 
 

3  

2011 

 

1. The Teacher’s Creativity in 

Teaching Vocabulary At The Second 

Grade of MTs. Al-Falah 

2. The Effectiveness of Picture in 

English Learning Process At MTs Al-

Yusra Gorontalo 

4 

 

12 

 

5 

 

1 

    

4  

2012 

 

1. The Application of Role Play 

Method to Increase Students’ 

Speaking Ability 

2. The Correlation between Using 

Discussion Method and Students’ 

Speaking Ability  

4 

 

17 

 

5 

 

- 

 

 

5 

 

2013 

1. The Influence of Interest in 

Reading English Book Toward The 

Result of Reading Comprehension 

2. The Influence of Self Confidence 

toward English Speaking Ability 

4 

 

 

17 

 

 

2 

 

1 

 

6 2014 1. Improving The Student’s 

Reading Comprehension Thinking 

Activity (DRTA) 

2. Improving The English 

Vocabulary Through Scramble 

Method 

 

 

2 

 

 

 

5 

 

 

 

2 

 

 

1 

7  

2015 

 

1. The Influence of Picture Media 

Toward Student’s Vocabulary 

Mastery 

2. Improving Students’ Speaking 

Ability Guessing Game Strategy 

 

2 

 

 

6 

 

 

2 

 

 

3 

 

8 2016 1. An Analysis of Students’ 

Competence on Question Tags  

2. Improving Student’s Vocabulary 

Trough Quartet Game on Seventh 

Grade of SMP 2 Pulubala 

 

 

 

5 

 

 

3 

 

 

9 

 

9. The amount of errors 19 81 30 18 

 

D. Conclussion  

 

Based on the finding and discussion, the researcher can conclude some of the 

conclusion as follows: The biggest error in writing sentences on students’ 

bachelor thesis of English Education Department is addition.The smallest error in 

writing sentences on students’ bachelor thesis of English Education Department is 

misordering.There are sentences error on students’ bachelor thesis of English 

Education Department include 81 sentences of addition, 30 sentences of 

misformation, 19 sentences of omission, and 17 sentences of misorderin 

 



Journal al-Lisan 
ISSN 2442-8965 & E ISSN 2442-8973 
Volume 3 Nomor 1 -Februari 2018 
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33 
 

 

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34 
 

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