Analysis+of+Common+Error

__MEMBERS:__ ** 
 * **MUHD ANWAR MUHAMAD SUBRI **
 * ** MOHD FADHLI BIN KHAHARRUDDIN **
 * ** SHATISH A/L SELVARAJAH **
 * ** KAMARUL ARIFIN BIN MAHFODZ **

"What we classify as an error, which is associated with learner competence, may actually be a mistake, or more specifically in an EAP context, a "derailment" related to learner performance. //– Shaughnessy M, Errors and Expectation, 1977.

// **

-ANALYSIS OF COMMON ERROR-

__** *Introduction **__ DEFINITION OF THE WORD **"ERROR"** - The act or an instance of deviating from an accepted code of behavior. **__TheFreeDictionary.com__** Errors in language usage are tiny deviation from standard practice few people will notice or care about. Like using "decimate" to mean "destroy". Language errors are deviations from standard rules of grammar. They fall into two basic categories, written and spoken. In addition, they include cross-cultural misunderstandings related to body language (mimics, gestures and posture), linguistic pragmatics, etiquette and ethics.
 * || Errors ||
 * Written || spelling, word choice, punctuation, style, structure of text, grammatical forms. ||
 * Spoken || pronunciation, intonation, stress, rythm. ||


 * Common Errors... **


 * ... are usually made by ** - Everyone, usually non-native speakers but it doesn't mean native speaker doesn't do it.


 * ...is caused by ** - Influence from mother tongue, media, parents, people surroundings. e.g:- Jamaica English and Malaysia English is different from British English because of the difference in culture and influence.


 * ...happens when ** - English speaker usually mispronunciation, misheard, incorrect usage of grammar, slips of the tongue, or lack of vocabulary.

**  __*Errors In writing__ **  Vigorous writing is concise. A sentence should contain no unnecessary words, a paragraph no unnecessary sentences, for the same reason that a drawing should have no unnecessary lines and a machine no unnecessary parts. This requires not that the writer make all his sentences short, or that he avoid all detail and treat his subjects only in outline, but that every word tell. //<span style="color: #0000ff; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 130%; line-height: normal;">- ////<span style="color: #0000ff; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 130%; line-height: normal;">William Strunk Jr., Elements of Style // <span style="color: #0000ff; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 130%; line-height: normal;"> <span style="color: #0000ff; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 150%;">

Error in writing are usually made in the spelling, word choice, punctuation, style, structure of text or grammatical forms. Spelling- <span style="font-family: arial,verdana,sans-serif; font-size: small; line-height: normal;">** There are two basic types of problems related to spelling (also, pronunciation): ** <span style="font-family: arial,verdana,sans-serif; font-size: small; line-height: normal;"> <span style="font-family: 'times new roman',times,serif; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"> <span style="color: #008080; font-family: arial,verdana,sans-serif; font-size: small; line-height: normal;">1. Students know words by sound but cannot write them correctly. <span style="font-family: 'times new roman',times,serif; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"> 2. Students see words written but they do not know how to pronounce them.

Structure of text- <span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial,verdana,sans-serif; font-size: small; line-height: normal;">** Structure of text is related to cohesion and coherence: ** <span style="font-family: 'times new roman',times,serif; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"> <span style="color: #008080; font-family: arial,verdana,sans-serif; font-size: small; line-height: normal;">1. <span style="color: #bb170c; font-family: arial,verdana,sans-serif; font-size: small; line-height: normal;">__Cohesion__ <span style="color: #008080; font-family: arial,verdana,sans-serif; font-size: small; line-height: normal;"> includes mechanical links at a language level - all grammatical and lexical links in the text: pronouns, tenses, synonyms. Cohesion establishes connections within a text at various levels, such as paragraph, sentence and phrase. Errors are usually made here when students uses different tense, synonyms or pronouns talking about the same thing in a paragraph. eg. Pol will <span style="color: #008080; font-family: arial,verdana,sans-serif; font-size: small; line-height: normal;"> eating a subway sandwich when he was shot dead. <span style="font-family: 'times new roman',times,serif; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"> 2. <span style="color: #bb170c; font-family: arial,verdana,sans-serif; font-size: small; line-height: normal;">__Coherence__ <span style="color: #008080; font-family: arial,verdana,sans-serif; font-size: small; line-height: normal;"> establishes connections of denotative and connotative meanings and sequences of ideas that relate to each other (at an ideas level). These are step-by-step logical sequences in texts - from general to particular, from statement to example, from problem to solution, from question to answer, from claim to counter-claim, from dilemma to choice, from anticipation to outcome.

** Modal verbs -  ** <span style="font-family: 'times new roman',times,serif; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">  English also has a considerable number of modal auxiliary verbs with different meanings. For example, the opposite of "You must be here at five" (obligation) is usually "You don't have to be here at five" (lack of obligation, choice), while "must" in "You must not drink the milk" (prohibition) has a different meaning from "must" in "You must not be an Englishman" (deduction). This complication takes substantial work for the majority students to master. <span style="color: #bb170c; font-family: arial,verdana,sans-serif; font-size: small; line-height: normal;">

__**A few example of words with similar spelling but different in meaning which causes common errors in writing**__ || ||  ||  ||
 * ** Ain't ** || * Some people believe that we should never use the word "ain't" in the English language. It is, however, a legitimate and valid word – if it is used in the right place. It is a contraction for "am not."
 * The sentence, "I ain't going to school today," is therefore correct. It means, "I am not going to school today. ||
 * ** Affect & Effect ** || * As verbs, they differ. To affect some thing is to have some influence upon it. To effect some action is to cause it to happen.
 * As nouns, they also differ. Affect is like affection, related to emotion. Effect is a result.
 * ** Apart & a Part ** || * One is a single word; the other includes two words. "Apart" means two things are separate or away from each other. A "part" means one thing is a portion or an element of another.
 * A wall is usually seen as a "part" of a house, for example, while a fence is seen as "apart" from the house.
 * ** Complement & Compliment ** || * The change from an "e" to an "i" makes a big difference in these two words. The word "complement" is related to the word "complete." If one thing complements another, then the two together make a whole.
 * In contrast, the word "compliment" is an observation of some good quality in a person. It is considered more sincere than flattery.
 * ** Datum & Data ** || * The word "data" is a plural noun, like "facts." Do not use it as a singular noun (like fact) or as a collective (like water). Right: "There are many data in that report."
 * If you want the singular of data (one bit of information) then use the word, "datum." Right: "I need only one datum from that report." This is very seldom used nowadays.


 * > **ORIGINAL WRITING** ||> **CORRECTION** ||
 * I don't mind to do what I can do on my end for this kind of products, but I feel that we will need your contribution as you have been doing for us because you have connections and know more people in the storage area than us. || I don't mind doing what I can o n my end for this kind of product , but I feel that we will need your contribution because you have connections and know more people in the storage area than we do. ||

__The Plural Possessive__ When a word already end with 's', the apostrophe is added without s to avoid a rather clumsy double-s sound. For example : **

eg. The message of the prophets = The prophets' message The papers of the students = The students' papers The books of James = The James' books.

<span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 120%;">** Example- ** 

This essay contain several mistakes. CAN YOU FIND IT?

 //In the essay you will see evidences taken form our seminar on the pros and cons of land reclamation in Hong Kong harbour. And, moreover, informations are included which discuss about possible solutions. Furthermore, suggestions to solve this problem will be given, for examples not reclaiming land from Victoria Harbour and so on. Land reclamation is always accompany with pollution. It is because the sand pollutes the water. Staffs of construction companies using reclamation equipments are lacking of environmental awareness, and don't think about the consequences. And besides there are no enough laws to protect the harbour. On the other hand, the police, they are difficult to stop reclamation. It is due to a lack of enforcement powers. Beside, when pollution be occurred, they will lack of evidence. They need updated information, which they can get in the web or other places etc.//

Below is the correction of the essay.

In the essay **Error:** __you__ //Do not use 'you' in formal academic essays. Use passive voice or change the subject of the sentence.// will see **Error:** __evidences__ //Evidence is an uncountable noun, and should therefore not be plural.// taken **Warning:** __form__ //It is easy to make a typing mistake and write 'form' instead of 'from'. Check that you have the right word.// our seminar on the **Error:** __pros__ //Pros is too informal for an academic essay, use 'advantages' instead.// and **Error:** __cons__ //Cons is too informal for an academic essay, use 'disadvantages' instead.// of land reclamation in Hong Kong harbour. **Error:** __And__ //It is bad style to use 'And' at the start of a sentence. Use 'In addition' or 'Also' instead.//, **Error:** __Moreover__ //Do not use moreover in academic essays, as it is used to show that the following point is more important than the preceeding one, which is bad organisation.// , **Error:** __informations__ //Information is an uncountable noun, and should therefore not be plural.// are included which **Error:** __discuss about__ //There is no preposition between 'discuss' and the topic being discussed, so delete 'about'.// possible solutions. **Error:** __Furthermore__ //Do not use furthermore in academic essays, as it is used to show that the following point is more important than the preceeding one, which is bad organisation.//, suggestions to solve this problem will be given, **Error:** __for examples__ //This should not be plural, use 'for example', 'such as' or 'for instance' instead.// not reclaiming land from Victoria Harbour **Error:** __and so on__ //In formal academic writing do not use 'and so on' or 'etc.'. Use 'for example', 'for instance' or 'examples include' instead.//. Land reclamation is **Warning:** __always__ //In formal academic writing 'always', as in 'they always do something', is not correct. Use 'too often' instead.// **Error:** __accompany with__ //There is usually no preposition after 'accompany'. You could use 'accompanied by...'.// pollution. **Error:** __It is because__ //This is the wrong pronoun. You are not referring to an object, but usually to an event. Therefore you should use 'This is because...'.// the sand pollutes the water. **Error:** __staffs__ //'Staff' is a noun for a group of employees. A company has one staff. It is never plural. For one employee, use 'a member of staff'.// of construction companies using reclamation **Error:** __equipments__ //Equipment is an uncountable noun, and should therefore not be plural.// **Error:** __are lacking of__ //Remember that 'to lack' is a verb, so you can use it in sentences such as 'They lack motivation'. Lack can also be a noun; e.g. 'There is a lack of information about this.'// environmental awareness, and don’t think about the consequences. **Error:** __And__ //It is bad style to use 'And' at the start of a sentence. Use 'In addition' or 'Also' instead.// **Error:** __Besides__ //Do not use besides in academic essays, as it is used to show that the following point is more important than the preceeding one, which is bad organisation.// there are **Error:** __no enough__ //This phrase should be replaced by 'not enough'.// laws to protect the harbour. **Warning:** __On the other hand__ //Be careful when using this phrase. This is because this phrase should be used to contrast a positive and negative idea, and// not //to indicate a change of topic.//, the police, **Error:** __They are difficult to__ //Replace this phrase with 'It is difficult for them to'. Check that you are using the right tense, and whether you should use a modal verb; e.g. 'It may be difficult for them to...'// stop reclamation. **Error:** __It is due to__ //This is the wrong pronoun. You are not referring to an object, but usually to an event. Therefore you should use 'This is due to...'.// a lack of enforcement powers. **Warning:** __beside__ //This is a preposition of place, meaning 'next to'. You might mean 'besides', which means 'in addition, but more importantly'. Remember that 'besides' is not suitable for formal academic writing.// when pollution **Error:** __be occurred__ //Occur cannot be used in the passive voice. It is possible, however, to use 'which has occurred'.//, they **Error:** __will lack of__ Lack //is a verb **Error:** __as well as a noun, so__ //use either 'as' or 'so', but not both. //you can write 'They lack computer knowledge' or 'There is a lack of computer knowledge among them'.// evidence. They need **Warning:** __updated__ //'Updated' means that something has been changed from an older to a newer version; e.g. 'I have updated my computer from Windows95 to Windows2000'. 'Up-to-date' means that something is modern; e.g. 'I bought a new computer yesterday, it's very up-to-date.'// information, which they can get **Warning:** __in the web__ //The correct preposition for the Web (when it means the World-wide Web) is 'on'.// or other places **Warning:** __etc.__ //In formal academic writing do not use 'etc.' or 'and so on'. Use 'for example', 'for instance' or 'examples include' instead.//

<span style="color: #808000; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 225%;">__***Error in speech**__ = Speech error- = According to Wikipedia, A ** speech error ** is a speech pattern that differs from some standard pattern. Speech errors are common among children, who have yet to refine their speech, and can frequently continue into adulthood. Children with articulation or phonology disorder may substitute, omit or distort sounds. They sometimes lead to embarrassment and betrayal of the speaker's regional or ethnic origins.

Types of speech errors-

 * Grammatical - For example children take time to learn irregular verbs, so in English they use the -ed form incorrectly.
 * Mispronunciation - <span style="color: #bb170c; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 130%;">language are pronounced in different way by different people depending on area they grow up in.
 * Vocabulary - Young children make category approximations, using car for lorry for example.

**Students especially Malaysian always get confused with certain words in English words that have similar pronunciation but the fact is, a way far from the actual meaning.

List below are example of common error.**
 * ** Words ** || ** Meaning ** ||
 * Anecdotes/ Antidotes || A humorist relates “anecdotes.” The d octor prescribes “antidotes” for children who have swallowed poison . Laughter may be the best medicine, but that’s no reason to confuse these two with each other. ||
 * Breathe/breath || When you need to breathe, you take a breath. “Breathe” is the verb, “breath” the noun. ||
 * Forceful/ forcible || These words sometimes overlap, but generally “forceful” means “powerful” (“he imposed his forceful personality on the lions”) while “forcible” must be used 'instead to" ||
 * Practise/ practice || In the United Kingdom, “practice” is the noun, “practise” the verb ; but in the US the spelling “practice” is commonly used for both, though the distinction is sometimes observed. “Practise” as a noun is, however, always wrong in both places: a doctor always has a “practice,” never a “practise.” ||
 * Posterity/Prosperity || Your descendants—those who come after you—are posterity. Your posterior comes behind your front, right? Your posterity comes along behind you in time. In contrast, prosperity is financial well-being . But some people mix these up by saying “I am taking photos of our house construction for prosperity” when they mean “for posterity.” ||
 * Palate/Palette/Pallet || Your “palate” is the roof of your mouth, and by extension, your sense of taste. A “palette” is the flat board an artist mixes paint on (or by extension, a range of colors). A “pallet” is either a bed (now rare) or a flat platform onto which goods are loaded. ||
 * Leach/leech || Water leaches chemicals out of soil or color out of cloth, your brother-in-law leeches off the family by constantly borrowing money to pay his gambling debts (he behaves like a bloodsucking leech). ||

<span style="color: #800080; font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 150%;">EXAMPLES OF SPEECH ERROR
__ A) Consonant Reversal __


 * Left Hemisphere - heft lemisphere
 * Well made - mell wade
 * Guinea Pig Hair - Guinea Hig pair
 * Baked a cake - Caked a bake
 * Cold Hard Cash - Hold Card Cash

__ B) Words Blends __


 * Splinters/Blister - Splisters
 * Striving/Trying - Strying
 * Mainly/Mostly - Maistly
 * Salary/Scale -Scalery
 * Pain Pills/ Killers - Pain kills

__ C) Word Substitutions __


 * Pay by check - Pay by rent
 * Hot under collar - Hot under the belt
 * Blond Hair - Blond eyes
 * Routine Proposal - Routine Promotion
 * Anglo Saxon protestant - Anglo Saxon prostitute


 * __Activities that can be done to teach these items in class :__**

From our research, we have discovered a way how to avoid common errors. By reading a lot, doing a great deal of exercises and study a proper grammatical usage can enhance our understanding thus avoid from doing errors.

Below is the list we think is great source of information for avoiding common error in English.

[] [] [] [] [] []
 * __Website list for exercise/test.__**

Hughes, R. & Heah, C. (1989) //Common Errors in English: Grammar Exercises for Malaysians//. Petaling Jaya: Fajar Bakti. Nandy, M.(2002) //Advanced English Made Easy//.Shah Alam: Eddiplex Phil Bartle, 2007. //Common Errors in Writing//. Retrieved from http://www.scn.org/cmp/errors.htm, on 19 Nov 2009 Glen Wheeler, 2009. //Common Errors in Writing//. Retrieved from http://www.owled.com/errors.html on 20 Nov 2009 Wikipedia. (2009). Retrieved http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ Victoria A. Fromkin (ed.), 1993. //Speech errors as linguistic evidence,// The Hague. Mouton. http://www.ling.ohio-state.edu/~swinters/371/speecherrorlist.html, on 20th Nov 2009.
 * __Reference__**