Nile Valley University College of Graduate Studies Investigating English Preposition A Case Study of Third Year Secondary School In Khartoum A thesis submitted in partial fulfillment of the Requirements for the degree of M.A. (ELT) By: Halima Hassan Ahmed Supervisor: Dr. Ibrahim Mohamed Al Faki 2009 To the soul of my father, to the soul of my husband, to the soul of my son, to my mother who gives unlimited support, to my children, to all teachers who taught us in English Department of the Nile Valley University. I Acknowledgements I wish to thank all the staff members of English Language Department in Nile Valley University for their great efforts during the whole period of my study in the university. My thanks and gratitude are due in particular to all teachers of English Language Department, and to everyone who offers assistance. I also fell indebted to Dr. Ibrahim El Faki, the supervisor. II Abstract This study aims at reviewing the English preposition, how they are used by the third year secondary school students. Throughout the chapters, the researcher maintains to find out a solution for the problematic areas in utilizing the appropriate usage of prepositions of time and place. To achieve this goal, the researcher has used a test foe collecting data which are distributed to a forty students in third class of Al Furgan Secondary School. The samples reflect the importance of preposition usage with regard to English language learners in their studies and communication. This study aims at investigating English prepositions in private school in Al Furgan Secondary School (boys and girls). This study consists of five chapters, chapter one introduces the study, it state the background, statement of the problem, objectives of the study, significance of the study, the question of the study, hypotheses and delimitation of the study. Chapter two represents the theoretical framework of the relevant literature as background and the relevant studies concerning the topic. Chapter three deals with the method followed for collecting and analyzing data. Data were gathered by the instrument of testing. The subject of the study was forty students (boys and girls) who were selected randomly from Al Furgan Private Secondary School. Chapter four is devoted to presenting, analyzing and discussing the data by comparing and contrasting responses. III Data were statistically analyzed according to percentages of the majority and minority of the responses with reference to sex. The percentages show 42% successful students, 57% failed students. Chapter five includes the findings of the study with recommendations and suggestions. It appears that the main findings are: 1- Third year students of Al Furgan Secondary School misuse the correct usage of prepositions of time and place. 2- The study reveals that girls achieve better marks than boys. The study shows significant differences between girls and boys students in using prepositions of time and place. The study reveals the importance and necessity of prepositions with regard to learners of English language as a second language. Students are recommended to be aware of the appropriate usage of prepositions of time and place. Students are recommended to read advanced grammar books to enrich their knowledge of the appropriate usage of prepositions. Teachers should work directly and closely with students to help them recognize the significance of using appropriate prepositions in their study and their everyday life. IV خﻻصة الدراسة رٓذف ْذِ انذراسخ إنى دراسخ كٍفٍخ اسزخذاو حزٔف انجز اﻹَجهٍزٌخ يٍ قجم طﻻة انًزحهخ انثبٌَٕخ انذٌٍ ٌذرسٌٕ انهغخ اﻹَجهٍزٌخ كهغخ ثبٍَخ. رٓذف انذراسخ إنى رحذٌذ انصؼٕثبد ثى يحبٔنخ إٌجبد انحهٕل انًُبسجخ، حٍث جؼًذ انجٍبَبد يٍ خﻻل ايزحبٌ نؼذد أرثؼٍٍ يٍ انطﻻة ٔ ػشزٌٔ يٍ انطبنجبد فً انصف انثبنث انثبَٕي، ثى ػزضذ انُزٍجخ ثؼذ رحهٍهٓب فً جذأل ٔ رسٕيبد ثٍبٍَخ ٔ يٍ كم ْذِ اﻹجزاءاد اسزخهصذ انُزبئج ﻻثجبد فزضٍبد انذراسخ ٔ رحقٍق أْذافٓب. رحزٕي ْذِ انذراسخ ػهى أرثؼخ فصٕل: انفصم اﻷٔل ٔ ْٕ يقذيخ نهذراسخ ٔ ٌحزٕي ػهى أًٍْخ ٔ أْذاف ٔ يشكهخ انجحث ٔ اﻻفززاضبد ػﻻٔح ػهى اﻷسئهخ انزً رحبٔل انذراسخ اﻹجبثخ ػُٓب. انفصم انثبًَ، ٔ ًٌثم اﻹطبر انُظزي نهذراسخ ٔ ؼٌزض انذراسبد انسبثقخ انزً كزجذ حٕل يٕضٕع انجحث. انفصم انثبنث، ٌزُبٔل انطزٌقخ انزً ارجؼذ فً جًغ ٔ رحهٍم انجٍبَبد، رى جًغ انؼًهٕيبد ثٕاسطخ إجزاء اخزجبر نطﻻة انسُخ انثبنثخ ًٌذرسخ انفزقبٌ انثبٌَٕخ انخبصخ. انفصم انزاثغ خصص نؼزض ٔ رحهٍم انجٍبَبد ٔ يُبقشزٓب ػٍ طزٌق انًقبرَخ اسزُبداً إنى انُست انًئٌٕخ. أٔضحذ َزٍجخ اﻻخزجبر أٌ َسجخ انطﻻة انُبجحٍٍ 24% ثًٍُب ثهغذ َسجخ انزاسجٍٍ %57. انفصم انخبيس ٌزضًٍ خبرًخ انجحث ثبﻹضبفخ انزٕجٍٓبد ٔ انًقززحبد. ٔ قذ أٔضحذ انذراسخ أٌ يؼظى طﻻة انًزحهخ انثبٌَٕخ ثًذرسخ انفزقبٌ انذٔنٍخ ٌفزقذٌٔ اﻻسزؼًبل انصحٍح نحزٔف انجز اﻻَجهٍزٌخ نهزيبٌ ٔ انًكبٌ. نخصذ انذراسخ أْى انزٕصٍبد فً اَرً: V 1- ٌجت ػهى انطﻻة أٌ ٌكَٕٕا يهًٍٍ ثكٍفٍخ اسزخذاو حزٔف انجز نهزيبٌ ٔ انًكبٌ فً يكبَٓب انصحٍح. 4- ٌُصح انطﻻة ثقزاءح كزت انُحٕ اﻻَجهٍزٌخ انحذٌثخ نزؼزٌز يؼزفزٓى ثبﻻسزؼًبل انًُبست نحزٔف انجز. 3- ٌجت ػهى انؼًهًٍٍ رٕضٍح يؼبًَ ٔ كٍفٍخ اسزؼًبل حزٔف انجز. 2- ٌجت أٌ ٌُزجّ انطﻻة اَزجبْب ربيبً نهًٕاضغ انزً ركزت فٍٓب حزٔف انجز. VI Table of Contents Page Dedication I Acknowledgement II Abstract III V خﻻصخ انذراسخ Chapter One: Introduction 2 1.1 Background 2 1.2 The Statement of the Problem 2 1.3 Objectives of the Study 3 1.4 Questions of the Study 3 1.5 Hypotheses of the Study 4 1.6 Significance of the Study 4 1.7 Methodology of the Study 5 1.8 Delimitation of the Study 5 Chapter Two: Literature Review 7 2.1 Introduction 7 2.2 General Definition of Preposition 7 2.3 Prepositions of Time 10 2.4 English Prepositions Rule 21 2.5 Types of English Prepositions 21 2.6 Nouns and Prepositions 26 2.7 Position of Prepositions 27 2.8 Illustration of the Usage of Prepositions 28 2.9 Boundary Between Simple and Complex Prepositions 40 VII 2.10 Post-posed Prepositions 40 2.11 Prepositions in Relation to Verbs, Adjectives, Conjunctions and 41 Adverbs Chapter Three: Methodology 48 3.1 Introduction 48 3.2 Subject 48 3.3 Material Topic 48 3.4 Instrument 49 3.5 Test Reliability 49 3.6 Validity 49 3.7 Procedure 50 3.8 Identif0ication and Classification of the Errors 50 3.9 Summary 50 Chapter Four: Data Analysis 52 4.1 Introduction 52 4.2 An Overview of the Testing Hypothesis 52 Chapter Five: Conclusions and Recommendations 62 5.1 Introduction 62 5.2 Summary of the Main Findings 63 5.3 Suggestions for further Studies 63 References 65 Appendices 67 VIII List of Tables and Figures Page Table 1 20 Table 2 52 Chart 1 54 Chart 2 55 Chart 3 56 IX Chapter One Introduction 1.1 Background Learning English becomes very important in the recent year, but it represents a great deal of problems to the second language learner. A non native speaker‟s problem which rises as a result of varied difficulties when these learners attempt to modify the qualities of the first language into English language. Particularly the use of prepositions inadequately is a problem which results in rage and misuse of the prepositions. The best example for these problems is that when the first year students construct the correct form of preposition, these misuses seems clear. Prepositions are very important in English sentence construction. So an ill form leads to misunderstanding the intended meaning by the speaker. Their importance is in their occurrence in the sentence, actually they take different combination, different types and different position with other word classes. This will be shown and tackled in details in chapter two of this study according to their occurrence and functions, basically on the rules of English grammar. 1.2 Statement of the Problem No doubt that many researchers have written on this issue, but as they study grammar from elementary schools till university, the usage of prepositions represents a big problem to many students of English language, who study English as a second language, and it becomes one of the common errors in speaking and 1 writing courses. So the researcher will focus on this controversial issue, and go to concentrate his efforts on prepositions of time and place which have a vital importance in their daily life. Moreover, it represents a nightmare for English foreign learners because the omission or addition of prepositions of time and place will change and influence the sentence, and may change the meaning and consequently make confusion. The researcher observes that recently Sudanese students face problems in using prepositions in their right places. Therefore the researcher investigates these problems. 1.3 Objective of the Study 1. To show the learners of English language the correct usage of prepositions of time and place, so as to avoid reading, speaking and writing errors, in their daily life. 2. To find solution to the problems that face Sudanese learners in uses of English prepositions. 3. To develop their performance in writing English preposition text as far as preposition are concerned. 1.4 Questions of the Study 1. Do third year students face difficulties in using English prepositions? 2. What are the problems faced by learners in using English prepositions? 3. What types of errors do students make? 4. How can English teachers solve these problems? 2 1.5 Hypothesis of the Study - Teaching preposition helps students to understand. - Generating sentences that contain a wrong usage of prepositions of time and place, what is the influence on the meaning of the statements? - If they use prepositions of time and place randomly and in different environments do they violate rule of grammar? - Effective teaching and learning can help to prevent preposition errors occurrence. 1.6 Significance of the Study No doubt the study has concentrated mainly in the misuse of prepositions that face Sudanese students in learning English.