ABSTRACT

Rahman, Restu Diani. 2012. Error Analysis on Descriptive Paragraph Writing of the Second Grade Students of SMPN 4 Penajam Paser Utara in the 2011/2012 Academic Year. English Department. Faculty of Teacher Training and Education Mulawarman University Samarinda. Advisors: (1)Dra. Ida Wardani, M.Pd (2) Iwan Setiawan, S.Pd, M.Pd.
The ideas underlying this research are Junior High School Students’ difficulties in descriptive paragraph writing. The researcher has assumption that Indonesian student are usually making errors in descriptive paragraph writing, such as in using have, has, is, am, are and missing to put “s” in plural noun. For these reasons the researcher thought that it was necessary to analyze the students’ errors on descriptive paragraph writing of the second grade students of Junior High School 4 Penajam Paser Utara in the 2011/2012 academic year.
The purposes of study are to see (1) what type of errors on descriptive paragraph writing of the second grade of Junior High School 4 Penajam Paser Utara, (2) what the most dominant errors in descriptive paragraph writing of the second grade of Junior High School 4 Penajam Paser Utara, and (3)why the students are making error on descriptive paragraph writing of junior High School 4 Penajam Paser Utara in 2011/2012 academic years.
The research was conducted in June 2012 to the second grade of Junior High School 4 Penajam Paser Utara in 2011/2012 Academic Year. The sample of this study was 26 students.
The data was given by instruction to the students to write a descriptive paragraph that consists of five until seven sentences on sheets and the topic was about “My School”. The students made the paragraph in 45 minutes. The result of this research showed that the students made four error types. They are Omission Error (40.41%), Addition Error (14.70%), Misformation Error (31.83%), Misordering Error (13.06%).
The dominant error made by the students was Omission Error, it was 40.41%. Based on the result of the interview analysis, the researcher found that some reason of students why they are making error on descriptive paragraph writing. They are: (a)the lack of vocabulary (b)didn’t understand how to use grammar correctly and structure, (c)didn’t have seriousness in writing a descriptive paragraph.