AN ERROR ANALYSIS OF THE ENGLISH CONCORD OF UNDERGRADUATE STUDENTS IN NIGERIA

ABSTRACT

The English sentence has a fairly strict word order and the elements that make up a sentence must be in concord, otherwise, the linear sequence becomes ungrammatical. This study investigated the degree of competence on concord in English attained by the senior secondary class three students in Onitsha North Local Government Area of Anambra State. The need for the work was underscored by the crucial role played by the English language in Nigerian education. The finding of the study would be relevant in English language learning and pedagogy. A simple survey research design was adopted for the study and the subjects of the study comprised five hundred students from five secondary schools in Onitsha North Local Government Area of Anambra State. One hundred objective questions set on different types of concord were used as test instrument. The subjects‟ errors were classified and analysed using a simple percentage and arithmetic mean. Standard mean of 75 and above was used as an indication of the mastery of the rules of concord. The finding of the research revealed that the subjects have not mastered the rules guiding different types of concord. They were unable to dictate concord errors caused by shift in the construction of elements of sentences. The causes of concord errors were more intralingual than interlingual. The implications of the finding in the teaching and learning of English were discussed and suggestions for improvement made.

• CHAPTER ONE
• 1.1 Background of the Study
• 1.2 Statement of the Problem
• 1.3 Aims and Objectives
• 1.4 Relevance of the Study
• 1.5 The Scope of the Study
• 1.6 Research Methodology
• CHAPTER TWO: LITERATURE REVIEW
• The Concept of Grammar
• The Concept and Components of Syntax
• The Concept of Error
• Categories of Errors
• Sources of Error
• CHAPTER THREE: RESEARCH DESIGN AND PROCEDURE
• Introduction
• 3.1 Research Design
• 3.2 Area of Study
• 3.3 Population of the Study
• 3.4 Sampling Technique
• 3.5 Research Instrument
• 3.6 Method of Data Analysis
• CHAPTER FOUR: PRESENTATION, DATA ANALYSIS AND
• INTERPRETATION
• Analysis of Sampled Questions
• Statistical Analysis of the Subjects‟ Overall Competence on Concord
• in English
• The Subjects‟ Competence on Different types of Concord
• Subject-Verb Agreement
• Concord with the Correlatives
• Subject-Complement Concord
• The Concord of Subject and Object
• Pronoun/Antecedent Concord
• Shift in Construction
• CHAPTER FIVE: DISCUSSION, SUGGESTION AND CONCLUSION 72
• Works Cited
• Appendix I

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