The aims of this research were to know the students’ ability in
constructing simple sentences and to reveal the common errors made by the
students in constructing simple sentences.
The population of this research was eighth grade students. The number of
the students was 160. The writer took 40 students in this research. In collecting
the data the writer used a test. The method used by the writer was descriptive.
After the data was analyzed, it was found that the students’ ability in
constructing simple sentences is different. From 40 students, there were nine
students who got very good category and they could answer 81%-100% of the
total items. Seventeen students got good category because they could answer
61%-80% of the total items. Nine students got fair category and answered 41%-
60% of the total items. Five students got bad category because they could answer
only 21%-40% of the total items. There was no student who got very bad
category. Since the mean of the students’ score was 65, 78%. So it can be stated
that the ability of the eighth grade students of SMP N 3 Kesugihan in constructing
simple sentences belonged to good category.
The type of errors made by the eighth grade students of SMP N 3
Kesugihan were 38, 1% errors in misformation, 33, 8 errors in addition, 27, 9%
errors in misordering and no error found in omission. The writer concludes that
the common error made by the eighth grade students of SMP N 3 Kesugihan was
misformation error.