An Analysis Of Grammatical Errors In Junior High School Students’ English Writing

English writing is an important way of checking junior high school students’ ability to output English.It has a big proportion both in English language teaching and learning and in the Senior High School Entrance Examination.Writing requires students’ ability of gathering language knowledge to express their ideas and use the knowledge creatively and logically.But it is not easy for them to write grammatically and fluently.The causes of the errors must be found.This research aims to discover the main grammatical errors and their causes in the writings of junior high school students.Based on the definition of errors and studies on error analysis of English writing abroad and in China,the present study tested 700 students in Grade 9 of Shijiazhuang No.50 Middle School,analyzed 210 compositions.Then the author let 700 students answer the questionnaires and interviewed 10 students.By analyzing the students’ writing,questionnaires and the interview,the author found the grammatical errors were the most frequent errors in writing in which morphological errors take the largest proportion.The analysis shows that students’ errors are mainly interlingual errors,intralingual errors and other errors.Interlingual errors are mainly influenced by transfer of native language.Intralingual errors include over-generalization,ignorance of rule restrictions,incomplete application and misconception.The study generates some pedagogical implications.Firstly,it is very important for the English teachers to use proper teaching methods to help the students to overcome the errors.Secondly,the teachers should emphasize grammar teaching.Thirdly,it is very important to treat the errors properly.Lastly,the teachers should help the students to compare the target language with the native language.