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Error Analysis of Using Punctuation in Narrative Text

Mukhammad Isnaeni1), Frans Asisi Datang2)
1,2
The University of Indonesia
email: 1mukhammad.isnaeni@ui.ac.id / isnaeni.mhd@gmail.com
2
fransisi@ui.ac.id

Abstract: The objectives of this research are to find out whether the students commit
punctuation errors in their narrative writing or not and to identify the types of errors which
are made by the students in terms of Surface Strategy Taxonomy. This is a descriptive
qualitative research. The instrument used for collecting the data is writing task in narrative
text, consisting of recognition and production task. The data was, then, analyzed based on
procedures used in error analysis of the descriptive approach. The results show that a
number of students committed erroneous data either in recognition or production task on
the use of punctuation marks in terms of omission, addition, substitution, and
misplacement.
Keywords: error analysis, punctuation, surface strategy taxonomy
1. INTRODUCTION (1). The manager said his assistant is quite
Language is an important element in mistaken, and (2). The manager, said the
man‟s daily life. It can be used to express assistant, is quite mistaken. It can be
and understand their minds, ideas, and inferred that both sentences have quite
feelings. It also enables human being to different meanings. From the first sentence,
communicate with each other by stating the meaning is: “It is the assistant who is
ideas, expressing feelings, and exchanging mistaken.” On contrast, the latter means:
information. One of the tools how people “It is the manager who is mistaken.”
communicate with each other is writing. In his thesis, Sudirman (1994) points
Writing is highly important to be mastered out that studies on the students‟ English
by language learners. Through writing— Foreign Language (EFL) should not be
whatever it is, the readers can catch and focused only on major language aspects
follow the writer‟s opinion and messages. (grammar, syntax, phonology, morphology,
The most important thing in conveying semantics) and skills (listening, speaking,
messages accurately is a good organization reading, writing) in general, but also on
in writing. Warriner (1973: iv) suggests that specified areas of each aspect and skill. In
a good organization can be (1) the study of writing, for example, the specified areas can
grammatical correctness in the use of be content, process, purpose, word choice,
inflected forms, (2) the study of the punctuation, or mechanics. Without
conventions of usage and of intensively reaching these specified areas,
appropriateness in word choice, (3) the studies would never gain comprehensive,
study of vocabulary and diction as a means deeper, empirical information on the
to a more powerful style, and (4) the study students‟ EFL writing as a complete unit of
of mechanics, such as punctuation, language skill. In order to gain such
manuscript forms, capitalization, and information, then, efforts for studying the
spelling. specified areas of the EFL writing need to
Punctuation marks have an important be intensively made. By doing so, in turn,
and significant role in writing. Consider, for various problems faced by students in their
example, the respective effects on the writing can be revealed. Error studies on
following sentences of the first omitting English writing have so far been largely
punctuation marks and then inserting them. focused only on general matter such as
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grammatical, syntactical, and organizational as mistakes. Therefore, we should not

structures (see for example: Jalal, 2012; worry about it. When learners cannot self
Mutiadi & Patimah, 2016). correct because they lack of systematic
Although errors studies have been structures of target language, it can be
investigated by some researchers, the level referred to errors.
was for university students (Jalal, 2012;
Sudirman, 1994; Wati, 2014); while for Surface Strategy Taxonomy
high school students especially in Lampung Dullay et. al. (1982) points out that
Province, the error studies on punctuations surface strategy taxonomy highlights the
have rarely been found or have not been got way surface strauctures are altered: learners
an attention yet. Therefore, this research is may omit necessary items or add
still relevant to conduct. unnecessary one; they may misform items
Concerning with the research or misorder them. Analyzing errors from
background mentioned previously, the surface strategy perspective holds much
researcher would like to formulate two promise for researcher concerned with
research problems as follows: (1) Do identifying cognitive processes that underlie
participants commit punctuation errors in the learner‟s reconstruction of the new
their writing? and (2) What types of errors language. It also makes us aware that
made by the students in terms of Surface learner‟s errors are based on some logic.
Strategy Taxonomy? They are not the result of laziness or sloppy
think, but of the learner‟s use of interim
Concept of Error principle to produce a new language. In line
Errors refer to any deviation from a with the previous explanation, the writer
selected norm of language performance, no infers that surface strategy taxonomy is
matter what the characteristics or causes of used to analyze error done by the learner
the deviation might be (Dullay, H., Burt, concerning with surface structure. The
1982). Error has different meaning from scope of surface strategy is limited to
mistake. The difference between error and omission, addition, misformation, and
mistake is that error is ungrammatical misordering.
utterance which refers to the language Omission is characterized by the
competence while mistake is imperfectness absence of items that must appear in well-
of utterance which refers to the language formed utterance. For instance, “He eat rice
performance. Similarly, Brown (1980; every day.” In that sentence, there is an
2007) also points out the distinctive omission of „s‟ on the word eat because of
differences between error and mistake. He subject and verb agreement. The correct
maintains that a mistake is a performance one must be “He eats rice every day.” In a
error that is either the random guess or slip punctuation domain, this type of error is
in that it is failure to utilize a known system also often found, such as the omission of
correctly. Errors, on the other hand, are apostrophe („) and (paired) commas. For
problem that noticeable deviation from example, “Dila hat is very nice.”instead of
adult grammar of a native speaker. “Dila’s hat is very nice.”
Referring to the ideas above, it can be Addition type of error is signed by the
inferred that when learners produce presence of an item, which must not appear
sentences ungrammatically due to in well-formed utterance. It usually occurs
performance factors such as limitation of in the later stage of second language
memory, fatigue during test, emotional, etc acquisition, when the learner has already
(Corder, 1973, 1981; Dullay, H., Burt, acquired some target language rules. This
1982; Sudirman, 1994) it can be mentioned type of error can also appear in the use of

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English punctuation like in this sentence: the meaning of written communication

“We can say; the number of guests clear and, if possible, unmistakable. The
attending the party depends on the party goal of giving punctuation mark in writing
itself.” In this example, the punctuation is clarity.
mark semicolon (;) should not appear in the Rorabacher (1976: 188) asserts that
written American English standard. punctuation is a system of marks used to
Misformation is characterized by the help the reader to read a sentence as the
use of the wrong form of the morpheme or writer wrote it. Here again, punctuation is
structure. In this case, the learner supplies referred to a mark that is used by a writer to
something eventhough it is erroneous. For help a reader understand the writing. In this
example, it is often found some students regard, the mark is specifically the one
make the sentence like this: “The dog eated which is conventionally agreed by many as
the chicken.” The use past verb eated is to indicate units of idea, word groups, or
incorrect or malformed. The correct one sentences. Other writers, Lagget et al
should be “The dog ate the chicken.” (1985) maintain that punctuation as a code
In addition, this type of error can also be that serves to signal structural, semantic,
found in the use of English punctuation in and rhetorical meaning that would
form of substitution, like in “Oh! Stop otherwise be missed by the reader…and
it!”Here the exclamation mark is used as from the readers‟ point of view, punctuation
substitution for a comma following the provides a map for one who must otherwise
word Oh. Thus, the correct form of drive blindly past the by-ways,
punctuation is written as “Oh, stop it!” intersections, and detours of writer‟s
Misordering types of error are thought. The word code is the central idea
characterized by the incorrect placement of of this definition. It implies the same
morpheme or group of morphemes in an meaning as mark or signal.
utterance. For example, the sentence “Why Huckin (1983: 485) points out the
you didn’t go to campus?” is erroneous. It function of punctuation as the road signs to
should be well-ordered as written as the reader. They help the reader see
follows: “Why didn’t you go to campus?” grammatical structure of a sentence and
This type of error can also be found in the thus more easily grasp the meaning. In
use of English punctuation like the use of addition, they can also help the reader see
semicolon (;) in “ …(3) fill the reminder of the rhetorical relationships between
call slip information; (4) hand in the call sentence elements. In short, punctuation
slip at the main desk.” The semicolon here marks indicate grammatical structure,
is misplaced. It should correctly be placed meaning, and rhetorical relationships.
before the word and. Therefore, this error is Furthermore, Warriner (1973: 623) clarifies
misplacement type in the use of English that using too much punctuation is just as
punctuation. bad as using too little. He emphasizes that
using punctuation marks because of two
Concept of Punctuation reasons: meaning and conventional usage.
Barnwell (1983:435) argues that Likewise, Shaw (1963: 17) asserts that
punctuation can be defined as the word that punctuations can be used to terminate
refers to all those marks and signs used in utterances (such as: period, question mark,
writing: the period, the apostrophe, the and exclamation point), introduce words or
hyphens, and so on. In accordance with statements (such as: commas, colons, and
Barnwell, Shaw (1963) gives a definition dashes), separate parts of sentences (such
about punctuation as a system by which, as: commas, semicolons, dashes, or
through the use of certain marks, one makes apostrophes) and enclose parts of a sentence

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or longer units of expression (such as: the errors were then calculated based on
commas, dashes, quotation marks, single their frequency and percentage.
quotation marks, parentheses, and
brackets). In this research, the uses of 3. FINDINGS AND DISCUSSION
punctuation marks are based on PUEYD
The table below indicates the proportion
(Pedoman Umum Ejaan Yang
of the types of errors in the use of
Disempurnakan „General guidelines of
punctuation marks.
Improved Indonesian spelling system‟) and
Warriner (1973: 623). Table 1 Proportion of the types of errors in the
use of punctuation marks
2. METHOD Instrument Types of Frequency Percentage
errors
This research is a descriptive analysis
Recognition Omission 673 68.05%
research which aims at describing various
phenomena in various conditions and Test Addition 178 17.99%
situations according to their present
Substitution 104 10.52%
existence. This method includes attempts of
describing, recording, analyzing, and Misplacement 34 3.44%
interpreting conditions existing and
TOTAL 989 100%
observable at present. In this way, the
writer or researcher gathered the data from Production Omission 144 41.86%
students‟ writing in narrative text. The
Test Addition 99 28.78%
researcher saw the error, then identified and
classified the errors based on Surface Substitution 83 24.13 %
Strategy Taxonomy. A total 62 participants
Misplacement 18 5.23 %
from high school students in Pringsewu
Regency volunteered as the subjects of this TOTAL 344 100 %
research.
To decide the sample of the research,
the researcher uses purposive random
sampling. This technique was taken to It can be seen from table 1 that omission
assure the higher level of writing type holds the most frequent errors in the
competencies so that the data gained use of punctuation marks both in
through writing test, either in recognition or recognition (R) and production (P) tests. Its
production test, did reflect their true ability frequency is 673 out of 989 or 68.05% in R
and problems. The recognition test is given and 144 out of 344 or 41.86% in P. A
in an objective form or closed questions and number of students committed this kind of
production test is given to the students by errors in the use of eleven punctuation
producing writing narrative texts. The marks. On the other hand, the lowest errors
former requires students to supply belong to misplacement type. Its frequency
individual punctuation marks while the is 34 out of 989 or 3.44% in R and 18 out of
latter requires students to write narrative 344 or 5.23% in P. In this case, the
paragraphs with the determined topic. The researcher inferred that most students
data, which were taken from the erroneous committed these kinds of errors due to
students‟ writing, were then analyzed and intralanguage transfer and extraneous
classified as omission, addition, hinders. The former indicates that the
substitution, or misplacement based on students make errors in the target language
Surface Strategy Taxonomy. Furthermore, caused by the rules of the target language
itself. In other words, the students in fact
are lack of knowledge about English

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punctuation rules. They committed erroneous data should be At 1 a.m. the

punctuation errors since they do not know program finished and I slept. Similar to the
the correct or complete ones, for instance: data number 1, in data number 2, a comma
John Dryden a famous English poet said … should be used after the underlined word
instead of John Dryden, a famous English poet to indicate non-restrictive elements of
poet, said…. Here, the students omitted a the subject of the sentence. Hence, the
pair of commas enclosing a modifier a corrected version for data number 2 is John
famous English poet because the students Dryden, a famous English poet, said,
did not the correct uses of commas. “Nobody is perfect.” In data number 3, the
Meanwhile, the latter implies that the question mark that should be used after the
students know the correct uses of certain word George is omitted by the subject. In
punctuation marks, but they still make written standard, a question mark is used to
errors in this sense. The errors made are indicate questions and terminate the direct
commonly caused by extraneous factors, question so that the corrected version
such as carelessness or lack of attention, not should be Will you speak little louder,
lack of knowledge. George?
From data number 4, the student
Omission Type omitted semicolon after the underlined
This type of errors is characterized by words. The use of semicolon in this
the absence of punctuation marks required example is to set off or emphasize the
in a particular unit of writing, sentences, or division between items in series when one
a part of sentences. In this study, the or more of the items include commas. It is
subjects of the research committed this to eliminate confusing elements of the items
error almost in all punctuation marks. The in series. Therefore, the corrected version of
following data are presented as examples of this example should be The following are
this type of error: members of the new committee: Bob Bates,
1. At 1 am the program finished and I president of the Student Council; Allan
slept. (11/Om/S8/P). Drew, president of the Senior Class; Helen
2. John Dryden, a famous English poet Berger, vice-president of the Honor Society.
said, “Nobody is perfect.” (82/Om/S4/R). From data number 5, it was found that the
3. Will you speak little louder, George student omitted quotation marks to quote
(67/Om/S19/R) the underlined words, namely the title of the
4. The following are members of the poem. For this reason, the corrected version
new committee: Bob Bates, president of the should be Robert Frost’s poem “Stopping
Student Council Allan Drew, president of by Woody on a Snowy Evening” is one of
the Senior Class Helen Berger, vice- his best-known poems.
president of the Honor Society. In this research, this type of error is
(98/Om/S23/R). found in the use of eleven punctuation
5. Robert Frost‟s poem Stopping by marks in recognition test and eight
Woody on a Snowy Evening is one of his punctuation marks in production. The error
best-known poems. (131/Om/S36/R). characterized by the omission type is the
Data number 1 indicates that the student greatest tendency in the use of English
omitted a period or full-stop in the punctuation marks shown in this research as
underlined word am. Here, the word am is also indicated on table 1 in the previous
the abbreviation of antemeridian for pages. In other words, this type of error
showing the time. In this regard, a period places the first rank among the other four
must be inserted within the abbreviation. types. In addition, there was a tendency that
Therefore, the corrected version of the

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the omission type found in recognition is For this reason, the corrected version from
greater than in production. the erroneous data is Will you speak a little
louder, George?In example 4, the use of
Addition Type colon is not appropriate. The colon is not
This type of errors is characterized by required after the word enclosed in example
the presence of unnecessary punctuation 4. In formal writing, it is not recommended
marks in a particular unit of writing, to use colon after verbs followed by direct
sentences, or a part of sentences. In this objects. The omission of colon, however,
study, the subjects of the research makes the sentences correct.
committed this error as presented as Like the omission type, addition type is
follows. also found in this research. In this study,
1. Will you speak a little louder, addition errors rank the second position
George?. (6/Add/S19/R) both in recognition and production. This
2. The groom and bride, make a tendency is suspected to be due to
gown….(27/Add/S7/P) avoidance by the subjects in producing
3. Will you speak a little louder, more sentences that do not require the
George??? (66/Add/S19/R) specific punctuation marks in the
4. For your convenience we have production task. As a result, they used
enclosed:…(11/Add/S1/R) unnecessary punctuation marks in the
From data above, the unnecessary sentences they produced in their writing.
punctuations come from the use of a full
stop, a comma, a question mark, and a Substitution Type
colon following the underlined words. Data This type of error is characterized by
number 1 indicates that the students added substitution of a punctuation mark for
the unnecessary a full stop after question another punctuation mark required in a
mark. The use of full stop is to terminate particular unit of writing, sentences, or a
affirmative utterances while the use of part of sentences. The following data are
question mark is to terminate interrogative presented as examples of this type of error.
sentences. It is not allowed to use both 1. Will you speak a little louder,
punctuations together in one sentence. George. (1/Sbt/S36/R)
Therefore, the use of full stop after question 2. All of my cousins and my nephew
mark is redundant and the corrected version felt happy, all of them felt so fun.
for data number 1 is Will you speak a little (71/Sbt/S4/P)
louder, George? 3. What a tremendous value?
Likewise, in data number 2 the use of a (23/Sbt/S36/R)
comma after the underlined word bride is
not recommended. A comma should not be From the above-mentioned examples, it
used to separate between subject and is apparent that the substitution errors were
predicate of the sentence. Thus, the represented by the presence of incorrect use
corrected version is The groom and bride of particular punctuations as a substitution
make a gown…. In example 3, the students of correct punctuations, such as the use of a
committed an addition error in the use of full-stop in example 1, the use of a comma
question marks. The use of question mark in example 2, and the use of a question
as indicated in the example above can be mark in the third example. Instead of those
categorized into double marking addition. punctuation marks, a question mark, a full
In formal writing, to end direct question stop, and an exclamation mark should be
only one question mark is absolutely used to replace them. In example one, to
recommended, not double question marks. terminate a question (will you speak a little

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louder, George) a question mark is best 4. CONCLUSION

applied, not a fullstop. In example 2, the In reference to the result and discussion,
use of a comma after the word happy is the writer draws his conclusion as follows.
incorrect. The correct one should be a full The subject of the research committed
stop to end a statement. In example 3, the punctuation errors in their narrative writing
use of a question mark, instead of both in recognition and production test in
exclamation mark, is not appropriate. terms of Surface Strategy Taxonomy. It can
In this research, it seems that there be concluded that omission type holds the
is a relatively little tendency of errors most frequent errors in the use of
characterized by the substitution type in the punctuation marks both in recognition (R)
use of English punctuations. and production (P) tests. The researcher
inferred that most students committed these
Misplacement Type kinds of errors due to intralanguage
In the use of punctuation mark, this type transfer and extraneous hinders. The
of error is characterized by the former indicates that the students make
misplacement of required particular errors in the target language caused by the
punctuation mark in a particular unit of rules of the target language itself. While the
writing, sentence, or part of sentence. The latter characterizes the errors caused by
following data are presented as examples of extraneous factors, such as carelessness or
this type of errors. lack of attention, not lack of knowledge.
1. John Dryden, a famous English poet, Future studies are needed to complete the
said, “Nobody is perfect”. (2/Mp/S41/R) finding of the research. The use of
2. He asked, “Would you sing a song”? communicative effect taxonomy together
(62/Mp/S22/P) with surface strategy taxonomy looks much
3. I came to the party with my father, more interesting to investigate.
who was wearing black shirt; my mother,
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