Errors in English Writing Composition at Undergraduate Level: A Case Study of Private Universities, Lahore, Pakistan

Abstract

This research study focuses on the errors made by students who are learning English as a second language in their written compositions. Its primary objective is to uncover the nature of these erroneous structures, pinpoint the reasons behind these mistakes, and propose effective corrective measures. The study adopts an action-based research approach, combining various research methods to analyse the errors made by the learners. To achieve this, it utilizes Ellis's (1985) framework for error analysis, which offers a structured approach to categorizing and understanding the types of errors found in the students' written work. Data for the study was collected from three private universities at Lahore. All undergraduate-level students taking English were tasked with writing essays on predefined topics. These handwritten essays were then transcribed into Microsoft Word for further examination. For the analysis phase, the study employed Grammarly, an online software tool, to detect and categorize errors in the students' compositions. The findings of the research highlight a variety of errors in the students' writing, including interlingual errors, which stem from interference from their native language, and intralingual errors, related to their ongoing language development in English. The study concludes by recommending practical measures to address these errors, with a particular focus on providing individualized corrective feedback to help students improve their writing skills.