Date of Award
1-1-2000
Thesis Type
Masters
Document Type
Thesis
Divisions
Faculty of Languages and Linguistics
Department
-
Institution
Universiti Malaya
Abstract
This study seeks to investigate the subject-verb agreement errors in the interlanguage of ESL learners of a secondary school in Kuala Lumpur. Using a self-designed cloze test. a total of 2,454 errors (61.4%) was elicited and categorised into five main categories of singular/plural subject-verb agreement. From the errors and percentage of errors obtained, the most common error was identified and the cause of errors explained. The sub-categories in each main category of errors were compared to determine which area of the singular/plural subject-verb agreement posed more difficulty to the learners. The subject+ auxiliary does/do category accounted for the highest percentage of errors (24.7%), followed by the subject+ auxiliary has/have category (23.1%) and subject+ full verb category (21.2%). The countable nouns/ uncountable nouns + verb and subject + auxiliary verb is/are/am categories showed the same percentage of errors (15.5%). The probable causes of errors were negative transfer from the LI (Mandarin and Bahasa Melayu}, teaching methods, materials used and learner strategies. In sum, the singular subject-verb agreement errors posed more difficulty to the learners and the causes of errors were mainly intralingual in nature.
Additional Information
Dissertation (M.A) -- Faculty of Languages and Linguistics, Universiti Malaya, 2000.
Recommended Citation
Koh, Kok Tin, "An investigation of subject-verb agreement errors in the interlanguage of ESL learners" (2000). Student Works (2000-2009). 118.
https://knova.um.edu.my/student_works_2000s/118
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-No Derivative Works 4.0 International License.
Included in
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