Analysis of Phrase Writing Errors in Students of SMA Negeri 5 Baubau

Abstract

In Indonesian language learning at school, syntactic errors are still frequently found, both in narrative, expository, descriptive, and argumentative texts. One of the most frequent forms of syntactic errors in students' writing is errors at the phrase level. This study aims to describe the forms of phrase writing errors made by students of SMA Negeri 5 Baubau. This study uses a qualitative descriptive approach supported by simple quantitative data. The subjects of this study were 30 eleventh-grade students of SMA Negeri 5 Baubau. The research data consisted of phrase writing errors obtained from students' essay writing assignments. Data collection techniques were carried out through writing tests and documentation. Data were analyzed through the steps of data collection, error identification, error classification, error explanation, frequency calculation, and conclusion drawing. The results showed that there were 21 phrase writing errors classified into three categories: prepositional phrase errors with 7 errors (33.33%), incorrect word order with 6 errors (28.57%), and excessive use of phrases with 8 errors (38.10%). The most dominant error was excessive use of phrases. Factors contributing to these errors include a lack of understanding of Indonesian grammar rules, regional language interference, spoken language habits, low literacy, and a lack of writing practice. This research is expected to serve as evaluation material for improving Indonesian language learning, particularly in syntax and correct phrase usage.