An In-Depth Analysis of Saudi EFL Students’ Written Paragraphs at Al-Baha University

Abstract

This study aimed to give an in-depth analysis of students’ written paragraphs. Therefore, the study primarily described the nature of the grammatical and mechanical problems that the undergraduate students committed at the paragraph level. Paragraphs written by EFL undergraduate students were analyzed comprehensively. The study adopted a qualitative method approach in which 80 students were asked to write a paragraph. The study found that undergraduate students had many grammatical problems as well as mechanical ones in a paragraph. The major grammatical problems included the use of tenses, pronouns, conjunctions, the use of prepositions, and the use of verbs, whereas the mechanical ones included the use of capitalization, the use of punctuation marks, cursive writing, spelling mistakes, and initiating a paragraph. These problems affected the paragraph’s readability as well as its comprehension. Therefore, it is suggested to give ample time for the students to practice writing prior to university entry. Also, literature should be included in secondary school to provide learners with the necessary words and improve their expressive skills.