The Error Analysis in Using Simple Present Tense in Descriptive Text at The Eighth Grade Students of SMPN 3 Palu

This research was about error analysis in using simple present tense in descriptive text. This research was conducted at SMP Negeri 3 Palu. The population was students in the eighth grade. The numbers of population were 30 students. In taking the sample, class VIII A was chosen. The researcher selected 10 students to participate in this research. The aim of this research was to find out the students’ error analysis in using simple present tense produced by the second year students of SMPN 3 Palu. The research was conducted at Junior High School 3 Palu, West Palu. Central Sulawesi, Indonesia. The objects of this research were the eighth graders. This is a qualitative research. The writer uses random sampling. There are about 30 students and the writer took 50% as the sample. The errors made by the students were divided into four aspects. (1) Error in Omission is 45%. (2) Error in Addition is 15%. (3) Error in Misinformation is 30%. (4) Error in Misordering is 10%. Relating to those errors there should be preventing efforts by the teachers such as improve their teaching methods and providing lots of examples of English and Indonesian sentences so that the students have greater understanding about difference of those languages.