This document analyzes errors in tense usage made by Indonesian students learning English. The study identified errors of omission, selection, and addition in verb forms, time signals, and auxiliary verbs. Sources of errors included interference from the first language and incomplete understanding of English rules. Causes were overgeneralization, ignoring restrictions, and incorrect hypotheses. The analysis can help teachers identify errors and improve instruction to minimize interference and other issues.

1. Error Analysis on Tenses Usage Made by
Indonesian Students
Fajar Kurniasih (1213042029)
Journal of Education and Practice
ISSN 2222-1735 (Paper) ISSN 2222-288X (Online)II Vol.4, No.6, 2013
Ratnah
Makassar Tourism Academy, Tanjung Bunga, PO BOX 90224, South Sulawesi, Indonesia

2. Ratnah
Makassar Tourism Academy, Tanjung Bunga, PO BOX 90224, South Sulawesi, Indonesia
Abstrack: This paper attempts to find out types, sources and causes of errors on
tenses usage in translating Indonesian into English made by the 1st semester
students of Tour and Travel department, academic year 2012/2013. Based on the
analyzed transcrip, it has been find out that types of error made by the students in
tenses usage were error of omission, error of selection and error of addition,
particularly in using verb, time signals and the use of auxiliary verb, the sources of
errors made by the students in using tenses cover: intra lingual error and inter
language errors and the causes of error are; interference, overgeneralization,
ignorance of rule restriction, and false concept hypothesized. The English teachers
suggested to explain the English pattern structure clearly and the students could use
the tenses forms of English correctly to avoid interference, overgeneralization,
ignorance of rule restriction, and false concept hypothesized.
Keyword: error analysis, addition, omissions, selection, misordering, intererence.

3. Error analysis provides information on students' errors which in turn
helps teachers to correct students' errors and also improves the
effectiveness of their teaching.
In making a sentence in English either written or spoken, tense plays a
very important role. Tense is a verb form or a verb phrase used to express
a time relationship.
In using English tenses the students will inevitably make errors either in
oral or written form. Therefore, based on the description above, this
paper attempts to find out types of errors on usage of tenses made in
translating English sentences into Indonesian.
Ratnah
Makassar Tourism Academy, Tanjung Bunga, PO BOX 90224, South Sulawesi, Indonesia
1. Introduction

4. Ratnah
Makassar Tourism Academy, Tanjung Bunga, PO BOX 90224, South Sulawesi, Indonesia
2. Review of Literature Review
•Crystal (1987) ‘error’ is a term used in
psycholinguistics referring to mistakes in
spontaneous speaking or writing attributable to a
malfunctioning new muscular command from
brain.
•Error is systematic deviation which consistently
produced by the learner, (Norrish : 1983)
2.1. Definition of Error

5. Ratnah
Makassar Tourism Academy, Tanjung Bunga, PO BOX 90224, South Sulawesi, Indonesia
* key car for ‘car key’
2.1.1. Classification of Error
Omission:
Morphological omission *A strange thing happen to me yesterday.
Syntactical omission * Must say also the names?
Addition:
In morphology * The books is here.
In syntax * The London
In lexicon * I stayed there during five years ago.
Selection:
In morphology * My friend is oldest than me.
In syntax * I want that he comes here.
Ordering:
In pronunciation * fignisicant for ‘significant’; *prulal for ‘plural’
In morphology * get upping for ‘getting up’

6. 2.1.2 Sources of Errors
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Makassar Tourism Academy, Tanjung Bunga, PO BOX 90224, South Sulawesi, Indonesia
Interlingual Transfer
Interlingual transfer is a significant source for language
learners. It is the result of language transfer, which is caused by
the learner’s first language.
Intralingual Transfer
Intralingual errors result from faulty or partial learning of the
target language rather than language transfer. intralingual
errors occur as a result of learners’ attempt to build up
concepts and hypotheses about the target language from their
limited experience with it. E.g. “He is comes here.”

7. 2.1.3. Cause of Errors
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Makassar Tourism Academy, Tanjung Bunga, PO BOX 90224, South Sulawesi, Indonesia
Overgeneralization. According to Jacobvist quoted by Richards (1971:
174), overgeneralization or transfer is the use of previously available
strategies in new situations. Ex : He runs fastly
Ignorance of Rule Restriction. This kind of error is closely related to
overgeneralization. That is the learners fail to observe the restrictions
of certain structures., e. g : The man whom I saw him yesterday.
Incomplete Application of Rule. This means that the learners apply a
rule in the context of a sentence, although the rule is not yet complete.
ex: “He goes to school?”
False Concepts Hypothesized. False concepts hypothesized refers to
faulty rule learning at various levels. The learners cannot differentiate
between go and come, bring and take, too and very, etc.

8. Ratnah
Makassar Tourism Academy, Tanjung Bunga, PO BOX 90224, South Sulawesi, Indonesia
2.2 Definition of Tenses
The term "tense" is derived from the Latin translation of
the Greek word for "time" (Lyons, 1968: 304). The
etymological meaning is not much different from the
definitions presented in many dictionaries and grammar
references. Generally, most lexicographers and
grammarians today define tense as the verb-form
denoting time (of. Hornby and Parnwell, 1979; Urdong,
1968; Guntram 1985; swan, 1980; Hodges et al.,1990).

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Makassar Tourism Academy, Tanjung Bunga, PO BOX 90224, South Sulawesi, Indonesia
2.3 The Classificationof Tenses

10. Ratnah
Makassar Tourism Academy, Tanjung Bunga, PO BOX 90224, South Sulawesi, Indonesia
3. Research Methods
This research is a descriptive method. It is intended to give a
descriptive account of the types of errors, sources of errors, and the
causes of errors in using English tenses. The population of this study
is the first semester students of Tour and Travel Management of
AKPAR Makassar, academic year 2010-2011, there are 19 students.
And all of them were taken as the sample of the research
To obtain the data needed, the researcher uses the translation test.
This translation test requires twelve tenses that is formed in the
short context. In this case, the students are provided with
Indonesian sentences, then they are asked to translate them into
English based on the correct tense.

11. Ratnah
Makassar Tourism Academy, Tanjung Bunga, PO BOX 90224, South Sulawesi, Indonesia
3. Research Methods
In collecting data, the writer asked the students to translate the Indonesian
sentences to English using the correct tenses. In analyzing the collected
data, the writer applies the technique of error analysis through test by
using the following steps:
Error Identification; in this part, errors are identified by writing all the
errors based on the result of the test, here the writer classified the
kinds of errors are made by the students in each tenses and then give
an analysis.
Error Description; in this step, the deviating sentences are proved
whether they contain errors, or merely contain mistakes. If they really
contain errors, then they are classified the types of error and the
possible causes of error.

12. 4. Findings and Discussions
Ratnah
Makassar Tourism Academy, Tanjung Bunga, PO BOX 90224, South Sulawesi, Indonesia
4.1. Error made by the students in using Present Form
Based on the sentences using present tense, it has been found that the
errors made by the students in using present tense (simple present tense
and present continuous tense) are error of omission (omission of s/es, to
be and verb ing ) and error of selection.
a. Error of Omission (omission of s/es)
Source Sentence : “Dia berakting di dalam film horror”
Erroneous Translation : “He act# in horror film”
Suggested Translation : “He acts in horror film”
b. Error of Selection (Selection of time signals)
Source Sentence : “Dia mengundang saya makan malam
sekali sebulan”
Erroneous Translation : “He invites me to dinner one of month”
Suggested Translation : “He invites me to dinner once a month”

13. 4. Findings and Discussions
Ratnah
Makassar Tourism Academy, Tanjung Bunga, PO BOX 90224, South Sulawesi, Indonesia
4.2. Error made by the students in using Past Form
Based on the sentences using past form, it has been found that the
errors made by the students in using simple past tense is error in
selection of irregular / regular verb and error in selection of time
signal, while in using past continuous tense, errors are made by the
students are omission of “verb+ing” and omission of vrb “be”.
a. Error of Selection of Irregular and R egular Verb
Source Sentence : “Saya menulis surat kemarin”
Erroneous Translation: “I write a letter yesterday”
Suggested Translation : “I wrote a letter yesterday”

14. 4. Findings and Discussions
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Makassar Tourism Academy, Tanjung Bunga, PO BOX 90224, South Sulawesi, Indonesia
4.3. Errors Made by the Students in using Future Tense
Based on the sentences using Future Tense (Simple Future,
Future Continuous tense, and Future Perfect tense), it has
been found that the errors made by the students in using
simple future tense is error of selection of using verb infinitive
and error of addition (addition of ‘to’ and addition of ‘be’)
while in the future continuous tense and future perfect tense,
error made by the students is omission of ‘be’, ‘verb ing’ and
omission of ‘have’ and error of selection of past participle verb

15. 4. Findings and Discussions
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Makassar Tourism Academy, Tanjung Bunga, PO BOX 90224, South Sulawesi, Indonesia
4.3. Errors Made by the Students in using Future Tense

16. 4. Findings and Discussions
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Makassar Tourism Academy, Tanjung Bunga, PO BOX 90224, South Sulawesi, Indonesia
4.4. Errors Made by the Students in using Perfect Tense
Based on the sentences using Perfect Tense ( present perfect tense, past perfect
tense, present perfect continuos tense, past perfect continuous tense, and future
perfect) , it has been found that the errors made by the students in using present
perfect tense is error of selection (selection of ‘has/have’ and selection of past
participle verb), error of omission (omission of verb + ing, omission of be / past
perfect ‘been’).
a. Error of Selection (Selection of “has/have” and past participle verb)
Source Sentence : “John telah membaca tiga buah novel sejak kemarin
Erroneous Translation : “John have read three novel since yesterday”
Suggested Translation : “John has read three novel since yesterday”

17. 5. Conclusions and Suggestion
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Makassar Tourism Academy, Tanjung Bunga, PO BOX 90224, South Sulawesi, Indonesia
5.1 Conclusion
• The kinds of error made by the students in using English
tenses include: error of omission, error of selection and
error of addition, particularly in using verb, time signals
and the use of auxiliary verb.
•
• The types of error made by the students in using tenses
cover: intralingual error and interlanguage errors.
•
• The causes of error are; interference, overgeneralization,
ignorance of rule restriction, and false concept
hypothesized

18. 5. Conclusions and Suggestion
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Makassar Tourism Academy, Tanjung Bunga, PO BOX 90224, South Sulawesi, Indonesia
5.2. Suggestion
•The students’ errors in using English tenses should be
corrected soon.
•
•The students who always make errors in using English
tenses should be given special attention..
•
•Teachers or lecturers should increase their guidance to the
students in learning English tenses.
•
•The teacher or lecturer of English should be able to explain
and give the English pattern structure clearly.
•
•It is suggested for the students to master the tenses forms
of English in order that they can use the right

19. Ratnah
Makassar Tourism Academy, Tanjung Bunga, PO BOX 90224, South Sulawesi, Indonesia