HANOI PEDAGOGICAL UNIVERSITY N 0 2 FOREIGN LANGUAGE FACULTY NGUYEN THI QUYEN THE COMMON ERRORS IN USING SOME KINDS OF NOUNS IN ENGLISH MADE BY THE ELEVENTH – GRADE STUDENTS AT NGUYEN TRAI HIGH SCHOOL, THAI BINH (GRADUATION PAPER SUBMITTED IN PARTIAL FULFILLMENT OF THE DEGREE OF BACHLOR OF ARTS IN ENGLISH) SUPERVISOR: NGUYEN THI LE NGUYEN, M. A. Hanoi, May 2014 i ACKNOWLEDGEMENT This research is the fruit of the labor of mine and supervisor, Mrs. Nguyen Le Nguyen, M.A. She guided me while I was doing research. I would like to express my deepest thanks to her. I am truly grateful to her ideas and her comments. Bedsides, I would like to give many thanks to my friends who helped me to do exercises in my survey. From this, I can find the mistakes in using some nouns. My thanks are also expressed to my friends for their comments I wish to give my thanks to all the lecturers in the Foreign Language Faculty in Ha Noi pedagogical University Number 2 where I am studying. Last but not least, I owe my debt of gratitude to my parents who always encourage my spirit to complete this research. ii ABSTRACT In English, noun plays an important role in a sentence. Nouns are an interesting category of English Grammar. Moreover, it is also familiar with students who studying English. However, the exercises about nouns sometimes are not easy for students to understand and study. There are some students who don‟t know how to do the exercises about some common kinds of nouns well. There were many questions relating to some kinds of nouns. Because of lacking the knowledge about the common kinds of nouns, many students in high school make mistakes when doing exercises and English tests about some common kinds of nouns. Therefore, the research titled “The common errors in using some kinds of nouns in English made by the eleventh- grade students at Nguyen Trai high school, Thai Binh and suggested solutions”. The research focuses on showing the possible uses of some basic kinds of nouns and compound nouns in a sentence. Moreover, basing on a survey, I will find some common errors that students at Nguyen Trai high school make. Last but not least, some suggested solutions are given to minimize mistakes in doing some kinds of nouns as common, proper and compound nouns. iii STATEMENT OF THE AUTHORSHIP TITLE: COMMON ERRORS IN USING THE NOUNS AND SUGGESTED SOLUTIONS (Graduation paper submitted in partial fulfillment of the Degree Of Bachelor of Arts in English) I certify that I do the research without copying from another books or research‟s. Some basic knowledge from English grammar books, some blogs, and some websites but I quoted the resource. The report is originally written by the guidance of my supervisor and I myself develop the details and do thesis. Date of submission: April, 2014. STUDENT Nguyen Thi Quyen SUPERVISOR Nguyen Thi Le Nguyen iv TABLE OF CONTENTS PART ONE INTRODUCTION I. Rationale 1 II. Research objectives 2 III. Research scope 2 IV. Research tasks 3 V. Research methods 3 VI. Significance of the proposed research 3 VII. Design of the research work 4 PART TWO INVESTIGATION CHAPTER ONE: THEORETICAL BACKGROUD I.1. Literature review in brief 6 I.2. Nouns 8 I.2.1. Definition 8 I.2.2. Functions 8 I.2.2.1. Subject of a verb 8 I.2.2.2. Object of a verb 8 I.2.2.3. Object of the preposition 9 I.2.2.4. Complement of “be” or a related verb like “seem” or “become” 9 I.2.2.5. In possessive cases 10 v I.2.2.6. In a direct sentence to speak to somebody 10 I.2.3. Common nouns 10 I.2.3.1. Singular nouns 11 I.2.3.2. Plural nouns. 11 I.2.3.2.1. Regular plurals 12 I.2.3.2.2. Irregular plurals 12 I.2.4. Proper nouns 12 I.3. Compound nouns 13 I.3.1. Definition. 13 I.3.2. Word- class combination compound nouns 14 I.3.3. Plural form of compound nouns 14 I.3.3.1. Pluralize the principle word 15 I.3.3.2. No principle word 15 I.3.4. Functions 16 I.3.4.1. As a subject 16 I.3.4.2. As a direct object 16 I.3.4.3. As an indirect object 16 I.3.4.4. As an appositive 16 I.3.4.5. As an object complement 16 CHAPTER TWO METHODOLOGY AND RESULTS II.1. METHODOLOGY 17 II.1.1. Purpose of the survey 17 vi II.1.2. Population of the survey 17 II.1.3. Type of the survey 18 II.1.4. Construction of the survey 18 I.1.4.1. Question items 18 I.1.4.2. Arrangement of the survey 19 II.1.5. Preparation of the survey 19 II.1.6. Administration of the try-out 19 II.1.7. Methods of data analysis 20 II.1.8. Results of the survey 20 II.2. DISCUSSION OF RESULTS 24 II.2.1. Errors in using irregular plural nouns 24 II.2.2. Errors in using plural and singular compound nouns 24 II.2.3. Errors in using singular nouns 25 II.2.4. Errors in pronouncing plural nouns 26 II.2.5. Errors in identifying the different meanings of common nouns with singular and plural forms 26 II.2.6. Errors in using proper nouns 27 II.2.7. Errors in using regular plural nouns 27 II.2.8. Errors in combining words to make a compound noun 28 II.3. SUGGESTED SOLUTIONS 28 II.3.1. On the part of students 29 II.3.2. On the part of teachers 29 II.4. SUGGESTED SOURCES AND EXERCISES FOR LEARNING THE NOUNS 30 II.4.1: Suggested sources 30 vii II.4.2: Suggested exercises 31 PART THREE CONCLUSION I. Summary the researching process and implication 37 II. Limitations and suggestions for further research 38 REFERENCES APPENDICES SURVEY QUESTIONAIRE 1 PART ONE INTRODUCTION I. RATIONALE Nowadays, English becomes the most widely used language in the world. Thanks to English, different nations with different languages and culture could close. Grammar is an essential part of every language. L.G Alexander (2009:p1) denoted that we should learn grammar because "there is no point in learning grammar for the sake of learning grammar. Grammar is the support system of communication and we learn it to communicate better. Grammar explains the "why" and "how" of language. We learn it because we just can't do without it”. As adjective and adverb, etc. Noun plays an important role in a sentence. It makes the sentence to be emphasized. Noun is known as a part of English grammar. It is also a linguistic element. Especially, nouns occurred in not only English Grammar but also in Advanced English Grammar books. In fact, there are many grammarians have done research on many kinds of nouns. There are many English grammar books tell about the classification of nouns and its functions. Additionally, some blogs of learning English online have talked about the use of nouns. There are many exercises of nouns in the final tests or in the exams. However, something sometimes is not easy to understand. Therefore, students who study the second language sometimes make some mistakes in using some kinds of nouns. With the aim of helping learners of English to overcome some difficulties in using some kinds of nouns, and with the aim of making the nouns to be more familiar with students, this research will help students to have a correct view of common nouns with singular and plural forms, proper nouns as well as compound nouns to minimize the mistakes in uses. From this, they can understand nouns as a part of English grammar. They will not to be confused when doing tests that relating to some kinds of them. 2 II. RESEARCH OBJECTIVES The study is aimed at achieving the following goals: ٧ To distinguish common kinds of nouns. ٧ To show the definition, the uses of nouns and some examples. ٧ To show the use of common nouns, singular and plural, proper nouns as well as compound nouns. ٧ To find out the common errors which students usually make when using some kinds of nouns. III. RESEARCH SCOPE In this research, the main object is the nouns. The research focuses on the uses of common nouns, plural and singular nouns, proper nouns as well as compound nouns, some examples of them. Especially, the important thing is to find out some common errors when using some kinds of nouns made by the eleventh- grade students at Nguyen Trai high school, Thai Binh, Vietnam. The population involved in the study is 50 students of grade 11 at Nguyen Trai high school where I studied. Students are in grade 11 who had many final exams in English subject. The reason I choose them to do the research is that they have a various level of English and almost students in the grade 11 have a deep knowledge in English grammar, nouns are more familiar with them. Although the uses of nouns are occurred in some exercises and exams, they still were not easy to study and understand. There are many students who didn‟t do exercises relating to common kinds of nouns well. This research intends to serve the teaching practices and to help the students understand some kinds of nouns in English grammar with an easy way and effective way. [...]... of nouns However, they could not distinguish the use of types of nouns, the meaning of common nouns in singular and plural forms as well as compound nouns II.2 DISCUSSION OF THE RESULTS II.2.1 Errors in using irregular plural nouns The error in using irregular plural nouns among the students of the eleventh- grade students, Nguyen Trai high school, Thai Binh province is the most common The error of. .. different meanings of common nouns in singular and plural forms 45.00 % 6 Errors in using proper nouns 40.00 % 7 Errors in using regular plural nouns 32.00 % 8 Errors in combining words to make a compound noun 16.00 % From the information of the chart, it can be seen that the highest percentage of error made by the eleventh- grade students at Nguyen Trai high school belongs to the errors in using irregular... Question items There are some errors in using some kinds of nouns in English; however it is impossible for a survey to explore all errors in field Therefore, it is necessary to predict the possible errors related to the uses of some kinds of nouns In this survey, the possible errors were classified into the following categories: 1 Errors in using regular plural nouns with ten items 2 Errors in using irregular... improve their knowledge of the nouns as definition, the uses, examples of common, proper, singular, plural nouns as well as compound nouns and so on In addition, they can themselves avoid some errors in using some basic kinds of nouns Consequently, they will be interested in studying a part of speech called nouns This research helps students to do exercises of some kinds of nouns or using them correctly... plural nouns It accounted for 70.00 % The second is errors in using plural and singular compound nouns, namely 59.40 % With the same percentage of errors, they belong to the errors in using singular nouns and pronouncing plural nouns, namely 48.00 % Errors in identifying the different meanings of common nouns in singular and plural forms accounted to 45.00 % The errors in using proper nouns made up... TASKS The research work involves fulfilling a number of tasks: √ To show an overview of common kinds of nouns in English Grammar √ To study the definition and the uses of common nouns, singular, plural, proper, as well as compound nouns in English grammar, some examples √ To find possible errors that students usually make in using common kinds of nouns Of course, there will be some causes for these errors. .. plural nouns with eleven items 3 Errors in identifying singular nouns with six items 4 Errors in pronunciation of plural nouns with five items 5 Errors in identifying the different meanings of common nouns in singular and plural forms with four items 6 Errors in using proper nouns with four items 7 Errors in combining words to make the compound nouns with five items 8 Errors in using plural forms of compound... years Some have learnt English for 8 years Therefore, the expected English level among them is intermediate Naturally, they have been taught the rules of using some common kinds of 17 nouns as well as compound nouns Some of them are really good at grammar, but some of them are bad at grammar in general and nouns concord in particular II.1.3 Type of the survey The survey includes 8 types: choosing the. .. However, there is 1 student made the compound “forget- me- not” in the plural likes “not forget me” It‟s a wrong answer Most of students made the incorrect answer with “two son- in- laws” The students do not remember the ways of adding “s” when changing the singular to the plural forms II.2.3 Errors in using singular nouns There are 168 of total error sentences made by students in using singular nouns. .. proper nouns as well as compounds in sentences 20 Before doing the survey questionnaire, the students were asked in written English if they like studying English A great number of them agreed that they were not keen on studying English For the next question about their level of English, about 30.00 % of them said that they were rather good at English 40.50% of them said that they were bad at English . some common kinds of nouns. Therefore, the research titled The common errors in using some kinds of nouns in English made by the eleventh- grade students at Nguyen Trai high school, Thai Binh. NGUYEN THI QUYEN THE COMMON ERRORS IN USING SOME KINDS OF NOUNS IN ENGLISH MADE BY THE ELEVENTH – GRADE STUDENTS AT NGUYEN TRAI HIGH SCHOOL, THAI BINH (GRADUATION PAPER. compound nouns, some examples of them. Especially, the important thing is to find out some common errors when using some kinds of nouns made by the eleventh- grade students at Nguyen Trai high school,