An Analysis of Learners’ Errors in Using Simple Present Tense

Abstract

The current study attempts to investigate Algerian third year EFL learners’ errors in using simple present tense at Mohammed Seddik Ben Yahia University. To meet this objective, it is hypothesized that once third year EFL learners at Mohammed Seddik Ben Yahia University misuse the simple present tense, they mostly commit omission errors. It is also hypothesized that learners frequently make errors in using simple present tense because they are influenced by their mother tongue. To this end, a writing task was administered to 41 third year EFL learners at Mohammed Seddik Ben Yahia University. The analysis of the data gathered from the written productions demonstrated that intralingual transfer is the main source of learners’ errors in using simple present tense. Moreover, researchers found that learners’ most frequent errors are omission errors. Thus, the first assumption was confirmed while the second one was rejected. These gained insights into errors in the present simple tense open the door for future research attempts in the field of error analysis so as to help EFL learners overcome their difficulties in using the present simple tense