AN ERROR ANALYSIS ON STUDENTS’ WRITING DESCRIPTIVE TEXT IN SMA NEGERI 1 AIR JOMAN

Abstrak

This research analyzes grammatical errors in the descriptive writing of tenth-grade students at SMA Negeri 1 Air Joman in the 2025/2026 academic year. The study aims to identify the types of errors and determine the most frequent one. A descriptive qualitative method was used, and Dulay, Burt, and Krashen’s Surface Strategy Taxonomy served as the analytical framework. Twenty-five students participated, and their descriptive texts were examined for four types of errors: omission, addition, misformation, and misordering.The findings revealed 122 errors, including 50 omissions (40.98%), 21 additions (17.21%), 39 misformations (31.97%), and 12 misorderings (9.84%). Omission emerged as the dominant error, showing students’ difficulty with articles, linking verbs, and plural forms. Misformation was also significant, indicating challenges in selecting correct word forms. The results show that students’ writing is affected by fundamental grammatical weaknesses, suggesting the need for stronger grammar instruction and more writing practice.