An Error analysis in english paragraph writing by students of the Faculty of Liberal Arts, Rajamangala University of Technology Phra Nakhon

Abstract

The purposes of the research were to conduct an error analysis in paragraph writing of the students of the faculty of Liberal Arts, Rajanangala University of Technology Phra Nakhon to collect information to be used as a guideline for English teaching and learning and for English curriculum development for undergraduate students of the faculty. The simple-random sample group of 36 students was 40% of the total population, 88 fourth-year students, in the academic year 2010. The tools were a paragraph -writing worksheet and a form prepared to record the frequency of each type of errors ofeach sample The results of the study indicated that among four main types of errors : 1) paragraph format 2) paragraph structure 3) Grammar and sentence structure, and 4) punctuation and mechanics, it was found that errors in grammar and sentence structure were most frequently found (58.72%). This included 11 types of errors in the order of frequency found as follows: word choice, verb forms, detelminers, sentence fragments, prepositions, singular/plural nouns, verb-tenses, run-on sentences, subject-verb agreement, wrong word order, and use of reference terms accordingly.