An Analysis Of Errors Made By Senior Two Students In Time-limited English Writing

Guided by theoretical findings of error analysis, this thesis aims to classify the errors and analyze the causes of the errors made by senior-high sophomores in their English writings done in a limited period of time. It also tries to give some pedagogical implication to English writing teaching in senior high schools.The thesis investigates the errors made by 80 students of Nanjing University Affiliated High School in their final exam's compositions. After careful study, those errors are found to fall into three categories, namely, grammar, vocabulary and discourse; and the causes of the errors are different, ranging from interlingual transfer, intraligual transfer, induced factors, lack of writing practice and improper writing habits.The study suggests that it requires both teachers'and students'effort to improve the writing proficiency of the students. On the one hand, teachers need, first, to learn the students'writing situation in order to know the difficulties and deficiencies in their writing, and then accommodate their teaching accordingly to enhance their writing instruction; on the other hand, students should know the weaknesses of their own writing and learn from their errors. Specifically, students need to work harder on grammar, vocabulary, and culture learning, practice more in English writing, acquire more writing techniques, and develop better writing habit.