This thesis focuses on the
English quality of 30 students in their first year in English Department, Universitas
Sebelas Maret, Surakarta especially in their errors and mistakes in narrative writing
test conducted by the researcher. There are six types of error and seven types of
mistakes made by the student due to four factors causing their errors and mistakes.
The aims of the study are to find the students’ ability and quality in their
English skill especially in writing a narrative text and to know their capability in
word construction particularly in simple past tense.
This thesis employs a descriptive qualitative method and also ethnographic
method. The research location of this thesis was document/media which were from
the outputs/the result from the writing test done by the 30 students. The data were
collected from the students’ writing test conducted by the researcher.
The result of data analysis shows that: 1) Substitution of Simple Non Past
dominates the types of error produced by the students. 2) Use of the Wrong Tense
and Form dominates the types of mistake made by the students in their narrative
writing test. 3) The factor causing their error is Ignorance of Rule Restriction due to
their lack of knowledge in English language especially in past tense. 4) The factor
causing their mistake is Incomplete Application of Rule because of their fatigue or
inattention and their failure to develop the structure of past tense fully. 5) The group
of male students dominate the errors, while the group of female students dominate the
mistakes.
The conclusion is the most type of error produced by the students is
Substitution of Simple Non Past; the most type of mistake made by the students is
Use of the Wrong Tense and Form. It is because they have lack of knowlegde in
English especially in past tense structure and failed to make past tense in their verb.
That is why the factors causing their error and mistake are Ignorance of Rule
Restriction and Incomplete Application of Rule.