Examining Syntactic Errors in Essay Writing Among EFL Students: A Case Study of ESEF Ibn Tofail University

Abstract

This article presents a thorough examination of error patterns within essays written by students enrolled at Ibn Tofail University, focusing on four major types of errors: Omission Addition, Mis-ordering, and Mis-formation. Utilizing data collected through essays and coded through content analysis. The data collected were analysed through SPSS, descriptive analysis, the study investigates the prevalence, distribution, and characteristics of these errors across a diverse range of essays. Through frequency distributions and skewness analysis, significant perspectives into error distributions and patterns emerged, revealing varying degrees of writing proficiency among the sample. The findings showed that the most frequent syntactic errors in students’ writings are addition errors and the most infrequent ones are mis-ordering. Professors may need to focus more attention on addressing and correcting addition errors, as they appear to be more prevalent and may have a greater impact on the overall clarity and coherence of students’ writing. Meanwhile, less emphasis may be needed on Mis-ordering errors, although they should still be addressed to ensure students develop strong syntactic skills and produce well-structured compositions.