Error analysis on the use of verbs in English compositions written by students at the National Institute of Education, Phnom Penh, Combodia

The purpose of this study was to analyse the recurrent errors in verbs made in sixty English compositions written by thirty students at the National Institute of Education, Phnom Penh, Cambodia. The students were given a test with two sections. They were required to write two compositions by choosing one question from Section One and one question from four options provided in Section Two of the test.This study is designed to fulfill a four-fold function:1) To identify and classify the common errors in the use of verbs in student writing;2) To indicate the frequency of certain types of errors;3)To explain the sources of these errors; and4) To suggest remedies with a view to correcting the errors.In the study, the errors in verbs were categorized into four major types: Verb Tenses, Verb Forms, Subject-Verb Agreement, and Modals. The researcher found that most of the errors made were in Verb Tenses, followed by errors in Verb Forms, then errors in Subject-Verb Agreement, and finally, errors in Modals.The errors were explained in terms of:1) Overgeneralization;2) Ignorance of rule restrictions;3) Incomplete application of the rules; and4) False concepts hypothesized.Based on the findings, a three-tier programme was recommended. The programme offered three separate stages of remedial work (the remedial, the reinforced, and the enrichment stages). Teachers should adopt the most appropriate one and implement it according to the students' needs.It is clear from this study that the researcher found that the errors in the use of Verb Tenses required more attention than other error types because these were the most frequent errors the samples made in their writing. Moreover, the findings provide information that could be used to construct teaching materials pertinent to the needs and improvement of teaching and learning English in Cambodia.