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Writing difficulties: an investigation based on simple present, present continuous and present perfect tenses among the ESL undergraduates

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dc.contributor.author Kareema, M. I. F.
dc.contributor.author Fhirthouz, Z. A. H.
dc.date.accessioned 2021-05-18T05:34:50Z
dc.date.available 2021-05-18T05:34:50Z
dc.date.issued 2021-01-19
dc.identifier.citation 9th South Eastern University International Arts Research Symposium -2020 on " Global Dimension of Social Sciences and Humanities through Research and Innovation". 19h January 2021. South Eastern University of Sri Lanka, Oluvil, Sri Lanka. p.53. en_US
dc.identifier.isbn 9789556272536
dc.identifier.uri http://ir.lib.seu.ac.lk/handle/123456789/5559
dc.description.abstract Writing is a vital skill in language production and communication. The ability to write meaningful sentences, lines and paragraphs which a reader can easily understand can be termed as excellent writing skills. It is also one of the most challenging areas in learning a second language. Most of the students are good at language, but many of them face the main issue of expressing their ideas effectively and efficiently in their writing. The common problems are the inadequate knowledge of grammar, inadequate stock of English vocabulary and creativity. Hence, knowledge of grammar plays a very important role in writing. It is the structural foundation of one’s ability to express himself or herself. Furthermore, it is the set of structural rules that govern the composition of sentences, phrases and words. On top, tense is an essential aspect in grammar which plays a major role in writing. ESL learners face a number of difficulties in their attempt to master English tenses appropriately. Therefore, this research was conducted with an aim to find the writing difficulties of ESL undergraduates of South Eastern University of Sri Lanka (SEUSL) based on simple present, present continuous and present perfect tenses. This study also aimed to discover the reasons and remedies for these difficulties. Sixty undergraduates from the third year of the Faculty of Arts and Culture (FAC) of the SEUSL were randomly selected. They were given an individual questionnaire and a task sheet. The questionnaire consisted of thirteen multiple-choice questions and two open-ended questions. Also, the task sheet was composed of 25 items related to writing difficulties regarding selected tenses. Further, it comprised multiple-choice questions, fill in the blank items, and a free writing activity. The findings of this study illustrate that the undergraduates have more difficulties in writing while using the present perfect tense rather than the simple present and present continuous tenses. Some of the reasons for these difficulties were the first language (mother tongue) interference, lack of practice in English grammar and lack of interest in learning the English tenses. Error correction activities, using grammar builders, remedial teaching, regular grammar practices, and the like are among the remedies found out to overcome these difficulties. en_US
dc.language.iso en_US en_US
dc.publisher Faculty of Arts and Culture South Eastern University of Sri Lanka en_US
dc.subject Writing Difficulties en_US
dc.subject Grammar en_US
dc.subject Tenses en_US
dc.subject Proficiency level en_US
dc.subject English as a Second Language en_US
dc.title Writing difficulties: an investigation based on simple present, present continuous and present perfect tenses among the ESL undergraduates en_US
dc.type Article en_US


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