An Analysis of Students’ Errors in Using the Simple Present Tense at the Seventh Grade of SMP Bisnis Informatika Bekasi
Keywords:
simple present tense, errors, EnglishAbstract
In Indonesia, English is taught as a foreign language rather than used in daily communication. English holds a strategic role for Indonesian students as a tool for international communication and access to global knowledge, science, and culture. Since English is not used in everyday life, students often make errors influenced by their first language. This study aimed to identify students’ errors in the simple present tense, explore the causes, and propose solutions. Using a descriptive method, the research involved 36 second-grade students at SMP Bisnis Informatika Bekasi in 2024/2025. Data were collected through completion and multiple-choice tests. Results showed that 3.7% of students scored very low, 18.53% low, 62.96% fair, and 14.81% good in forming simple present tense sentences. Common errors included verb form confusion and a lack of tense pattern understanding. After substitution drills, students’ average scores improved from 71.86 to 76.29, indicating that substitution exercises effectively enhanced their mastery of the simple present tense
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