Sudan University of Science and Technology College of Graduate Studies College of Languages Analyzing the Errors Made by Undergraduate Students in Using English Prepositions in Written Texts (A Case Study of First Year Students of English Language in the Faculty of Languages and Linguistics at the University of Zalingei) تحليل اﻷخطاء التي يرتكبها طﻻب الجامعة فى النصوص المكتوبة عند استخدام حروف الجر )دراسة حالة طﻻب السنة اﻷولى لغة انجليزية بكلية اللغات بجامعة زالنجي( A Thesis Submitted in Fulfillment of the Requirements for PhD Degree in English Language (Applied Linguistics) Submitted by: Sharif Yousif Khatir Aso Supervised by: Dr. Abdalla Yassin Abdalla March 2020 0 Dedication To my late father and all members of my family, and my fellow teachers. i Acknowledgements Definitely, no work of value could have been accomplished without the help of Allah hence countless thanks to Allah the greater we would like to express our hearty thanks gratitude and sincere appreciation to Sudan University of Science and Technology. Researcher would like to express my thanks and appreciation to Dr. Abdallah Yassin, my supervisor, whose expertise, understanding, and patience, added considerably to my experience. I appreciate his vast knowledge. The Senate of the Higher Studies, Sudan University of Science and Technology, college of languages is also unforgettable in my thanks for offering me such a rare chance to qualify Ph.D under the shade of its sincere appreciation. My extreme thanks are also extended to Dr. Abdallah Adam Osman Algazoly, Dr. SulemanYousif Khatir and Dr. Awad Sineen Omer Nheid for providing me with various references and economical support. ii Abstract This study aims at analyzing the errors made by Sudanese undergraduate students in using English prepositions in written texts. Researcher has adopted the descriptive analytical method. Two instruments have been used as primary tools for collecting data relevant to the study, namely a written diagnostic test for first year students of English at Zalingei University- Faculty of Languages and Linguistics and a questionnaire for teachers of English at Sudanese Universities. The study sample of questionnaire comprises (50) teachers and the written diagnostic test composes (50) students. The researcher applied SPSS program to analyze and verify the hypotheses. The results have shown that overgeneralization negatively affects students' recognition of using English prepositions. Moreover, students’ errors in using prepositions are due to effect of L1 when transferring his/her knowledge of Arabic language. Students' errors in using prepositions are related to direct translation of prepositions into Arabic, the study has recommended that teachers should teach students intensive texts in context to overcome prepositions problems. On the other hand, students should be given activities on prepositions that focus heavily on written texts. Teachers of English should expose their students to the culture of the native speakers by using audiovisual aids when teaching English prepositions. Some suggestions have been also proposed for further relevant studies in using English prepositions. iii ABSTRACT (Arabic Version) المستخلص تهدف هذه الدراسة إلى تحليل اﻻخطاء التي يرتكبها طﻻب الدراسات العليا في الجامعات السودانية في استخدام حروف الجر اﻻنجليزية في النصوص المكتوبة. و اتبع الباحث المنهج الوصفي التحليلي ، وتم استخدام أداتين لجمع البيانات المتعلقة بالدراسة ، المتمثلة في اختبار تشخيصي مكتوب لطﻻب السنة اﻻولى بجامعة زالنجى-كلية اللغات، واستبيان صمم خصيصاً ﻷساتذة اللغة اﻹنجليزية في بعض الجامعات السودانية. وقد تم اختيار عينة بحجم )05( عشوائياً بالنسبة ﻷداة الدراسة اﻷولى اﻻستبيان وعينة بحجم )05( طالبا لﻻختبار التشخيصي. وطبق الباحث برامج الحزم اﻻحصائية للعلوم اﻻجتماعية (SPSS) لتحليل وتأكيد الفرضيات. واتضح جليا من خﻻل النتائج ان التعميم يؤثر سلبا على معرفة الطﻻب في استخدام حروف الجر. باﻻضافة الى ذلك إن أخطاء الطﻻب في استخدام حروف الجر ناتج عن تأثير اللغة اﻻولى عند ترجمتها للغة العربية. اخطاء الطﻻب في استخدام حروف الجر مرتبطة بالترجمة المباشرة الي العربية. وخلصت الدراسة إلى عدد من التوصيات أهمها: على المحاضرين في أقسام اللغة اﻻنجليزية تدريس الطﻻب نصوص مكثفة لحل مشكلة حروف الجر. من ناحية أخرى ينبغي أن يعطى الطﻻب تدريبات كافية على حروف الجر والتي تركز على النصوص المكتوبة. على أساتذة اللغة اﻻنجليزية أن يعرضوا طﻻبهم لنماذج ثقافية للناطقين بها باستخدام الوسائل السمعية والمرئية عند تدريس حروف الجر. وأيضا قدمت بعض المقترحات للدارسات المستقبلية ذات الصلة. iv Table of Contents No. Contents Page Dedication I Acknowledgements Ii Abstract Iii Abstract (Arabic Version) Iv Table of Contents V List of Tables Viii List of Figures Xi Chapter One Introduction 1.0 Overview 1 1.1 Context of the Study 1 1.2 Statement of the Problem 5 1.3 Objectives of the Study 6 1.4 Questions of the Study 6 1.5 Hypotheses of the Study 6 1.6 Significance of the Study 6 1.7 Methodology of the Study 7 1.8 Organization of the Study 8 1.9 Limits of the Study 8 Summary of the Chapter 8 Chapter Two Literature Review 2.0 Overview 9 2.1 Conceptual framework 9 2.1.1 Background 9 2.1.2 Error Analysis 15 2.1.3 Error Constitutes 20 2.1.4 Stages in Error Analysis 21 2.1.5 Description of Errors 22 2.1.6 Explanation of Errors 23 v 2.1.7 Historical Development of the Field of Error Analysis 24 2.1.8 Benefits of Error Analysis 27 2.1.9 Challenges of Error Analysis 28 2.1.10 Difference between Error and Mistake 29 2. 1.11 Definition of Error 30 2.1.12 The Definition of Error Analysis 32 2.1.13 Purposes of Errors study 38 2.1.14 Causes of Errors 39 2.1.15 Sources of Errors 41 2.1.16 Classification of Error 44 2.1.16.1 Interlingual Errors 46 2.1.16.2 Intralingual Errors 47 2.1.16.3 Developmental errors 47 2.1.17 Preposition 52 2.1.17.1 The Definition of Preposition 52 2.1.17.2 Kinds of Prepositions 56 2.1.17.2.1 Preposition of Time 66 2.1.17.2.2 Preposition of Direction 67 2.1.17.2.3 Preposition of Spatial Relationships 67 2.1.17.2.4 Preposition after Selected Adjective 67 2.2 Previous Studies 69 Summary of the Chapter 77 Chapter Three The Research Methodology 3.0 Overview 78 3.1 Research Methodology 78 3.2 Research Tools/Instruments 78 3.3 Population of the Study 78 3.4 The Sample 79 vi 3.5 Validity 79 3.6 Reliability 80 3.7 Procedure 80 Summary of the Chapter 81 Chapter Four Data Analysis, Results and Discussion 4.0 Introduction 82 4.1 The Responses to the Questionnaire 82 4.2 Analysis of the Questionnaire 82 4.3 The Responses to the Test 105 4.4 Verification of the Hypotheses 111 Summary of the Chapter 113 Chapter Five Summary, Findings, Recommendations and Suggestions for Further Studies 5.0 Overview 114 5.1 Findings 114 5.2 Recommendations 117 5.3 Suggestions for Further Studies 118 Summary of the Chapter 118 Bibliography 119 Appendices vii List of Tables Table No. Content Page The Frequency Distribution for the Respondents’ Answers (4.1) of statement No.( 1) 83 The Frequency Distribution for the Respondents’ Answers (4.2) 84 of Statement No.(2 ) The Frequency Distribution for the Respondents’ Answers (4.3) 85 of Statement No.( 3) The Frequency Distribution for the Respondents’ Answers (4.4) 86 of Statement No.( 4) The Frequency Distribution for the Respondents’ Answers (4.5) 87 of Statement No.( 5) Chi -Square Test Results for Respondents’ Answers of the (4.6) Questions of the Hypothesis one: There are students’ errors 88 in using English prepositions in written texts. The Frequency Distribution for the Respondents’ Answers (4.7) 91 of Statement No.( 6 ) The Frequency Distribution for the Respondents’ Answers (4.8) 92 of Statement No.( 7 ) The Frequency Distribution for the Respondents’ Answers (4.9) 93 of Statement No.(8 ) The Frequency Distribution for the Respondents’ Answers (4.10) 94 of Statement No.(9 ) The Frequency Distribution for the Respondents’ Answers (4.11) 95 of statement No.( 10) Chi -Square Test Results for Respondents’ Answers of the (4.12) Questions of the Hypothesis two: Many of prepositions 96 errors can be attributed to mother tongue interference. The Frequency Distribution for the Respondents’ Answers (4.13) 98 of statement No.(11 ) The Frequency Distribution for the Respondents’ Answers (4.14) 99 of statement No.(12 ) The Frequency Distribution for the Respondents’ Answers (4.15) 100 of Statement No.(13 ) viii The Frequency Distribution for the Respondents’ Answers (4.16) 101 of statement No.(14 ) The Frequency Distribution for the Respondents’ Answers (4.17) 102 of statement No.(15 ) Chi -Square Test Results for Respondents’ Answers of the Questions of the Hypothesis three: There are teaching (4.18) 103 strategies can be applied to overcome English preposition errors. Shows the frequency and percentage distribution of the (4.19) answers according to part (1) 105 S hows the frequency and percentage distribution of the (4.20) answers according to part (2) 106 S hows the frequency and percentage distribution of the (4.21) answers according to part (1) 107 S hows the frequency and percentage distribution of the (4.22) answers according to part (1) 108 S hows the frequency and percentage distribution of the (4.23) answers according to part (1) 109 The Frequency Distribution and decisions for the (4.24) 110 Respondent’s Answers of all questions (4.25) One sample T-TEST for the questions of the study 110 ix List of Figures Figure No. Content Page The Frequency Distribution for the Respondents’ Answers (4.1) of statement No.( 1) 83 The Frequency Distribution for the Respondents’ Answers (4.2) 84 of Statement No.(2 ) The Frequency Distribution for the Respondents’ Answers (4.3) 85 of Statement No.( 3) The Frequency Distribution for the