Understanding Copular Verbs at Secondary Level by English Language Learners

Abstract

The purpose of this research is to investigate the difficulties that English language learners encounter when understanding and using copular verbs at the secondary level, as well as to provide effective solutions to these obstacles. English copular verbs, such as "be," "seem," and "become," are essential for forming intelligible sentences. However, secondary-level students frequently struggle with proper usage due to lack exposure and practice. These issues limit their linguistic skills and fluency. The study took a quantitative research strategy, focusing on measurable data to assess learners' comprehension of copular verbs. Data were obtained using standardized evaluations and analyzed systematically in order to test hypotheses and discover error trends. The findings demonstrated that learners frequently misused copular verbs due to insufficient training and a lack of contextual comprehension. To solve this issue, educators should incorporate contextual teaching approaches, emphasise practice using real-life settings, and provide targeted feedback to help learners improve their competency.