THE FIRST YEAR STUDENTS’ DIFFICULTIES IN CHANGING ACTIVE

AND PASSIVE VOICE AT SMA SHAILENDRA PALEMBANG

1. Background

English has been taught to the students since they are at the Primary School

(SD). Since that time they are introduced to English as a foreign language at very

beginning.

In order to master the language every human being that speaks that language

should knows its language grammar. It is assumed the learner who wants to know or

use a language has to master the grammar of language. Norton (1980: 191) states that

grammar is a study of words and their functions. It consists of word order, form and

structure of a language and the way in which linguistic units such as words and

phrases are combined to produce sentences in the language. In grammar, there is

active and passive that is studied, including the grammar that is studied, by the first

year students of SMA SHAILENDRA Palembang. Grammar is the study and practice

of the rules by which words change their forms and in other combined into sentences.

Many students are still unable to communicate in English. The causes might

be to fact that they are not good enough at English structure, very often they do not

know how to produce and to write good sentences.

Since grammar covers many grammatical items, including active and passive

which is always used both and oral written communication. The writer takes the topic

on the first year students’ difficulties in changing active and passive sentences at

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SMA SHAILENDRA Palembang. In this study the writer does a research about the

students’ difficulties in changing active into passive sentences.

2. Problem

To clarify what things were going to do the writer needs to limit and

formulates the problems.

2.1. Limitation of The Problems

The problem of the study was limited on the students’ difficulties in changing

active into passive sentences. The tense were limited as the followings:

a. The Simple Present Tense

b. The Present Continuous Tense

c. The Future Tense

d. The Future Continuous Tense

e. The Simple Past Tense

f. The Past Continuous Tense

2.2. Formulation of The Problems

Based on the limitation above the problems of this study is formulated as

follow: what are the first year students’ difficulties in changing active into passive

sentences in the tenses of (a) The simple present tense (b) the present continuous

tense (c) the future tense (d) the future continuous tense (e) the simple past tense (f)

the past continuous tense.

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3. Objective of The Study

The objectives of the study is to find out the students’ difficulties in changing

active into passive sentences in the tenses (a) The simple present tense (b) the present

continuous tense (c) the future tense (d) the future continuous tense (e) the past tense

(f) the past continuous tense.

4. Significance of The Study

By completing this report of the thesis, it is hoped it will give some

advantages as follows; firstly, it will give inputs in teaching and learning English

especially active and passive. Secondly, it will be used for the teacher of English in

helping the students to overcome their problems. Thirdly, the writer hopes it would

give some contributions to the field of the teaching English as foreign language to

teachers of English. It is also expected to increase the writer her self in getting more

experience and knowledge of this study.

5. Theoretical Framework

5.1. The Concept of Active Sentences

According to Wren and Martin (1969:93). Active is used when the agent (i.e.

does the active). Is to be made prominent.

For example:

(1). I buy fruits and vegetables.

(2). She brought a book.

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In sentences (1) and (2) the words “I” and “She” indicate that the subjects are

performing the activity. The words “buy” and “brought,” indicate that the verbs are

expressing the action so that the two sentences are called “active”.

5.2. The Concept of the Passive Sentence.

According to Swam (1980:457) not all verbs can has passive form.

Intransitive verb (e.g. “ like, die, arrive, Seem”) cannot become passive. They have

no objects of passive sentences.

5.3. The Forms of Active and Passive Voice

According to Azar (1989:120) states that the form of passive is the object of

an active verb become the subject of the passive.

5.3.1. The form of active and passive voice in the simple present tense

For example:

Subject + VI + Object : Active

E.g. I love you

Subject + Be (am, is, are) + Verb III + By + Object : Passive

E.g. you are loved by me

5.3.2. The form of active and passive in The present continuous tense

For example:

Subject + Be (am, is, are) + Verb III + Ing + Object : Active

E.g. Rama is opening the door.

Subject + Be (am, is, are) + Being + Verb III + By + Object : Passive

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E.g. The door is being opened by Rama.

5.3.3. The form of active and passive in the future tense

For example:

Subject + Be (will, shall) + Verb I + Object : Active

E.g. His father will punish him.

Subject + Be (will, shall) + Be + Verb III + By + Object : Passive

E.g. He will be punished by his father.

5.3.4. The form of the active and passive in the future continuous tense

For example:

Subject + Be (will, shall) +Be+ Verb I + Ing + object : Active

E.g. The cow will be giving good milk.

Subject + Be (will, shall) + Be + Being + Verb III + By + Object: Passive

A good milk will be being given by the cow.

5.3.5. The form of active and passive in the simple past tense

For example:

Subject + Verb II + Object : Active

E.g. The policeman caught the thief

Subject + Be (was, were) + Verb III + By + Object : Passive

E.g. The thief was caught by the Policeman

5.3.6. The form of the active and passive in the past continuous tense.

For example:

Subject + Be (was, were) + Verb I + Ing + Object : Active

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E.g. A cruel boy was killing the bird.

Subject + Be (Was, were) + Being + Verb III +By + Object : Passive

E.g. The bird was being killed by a cruel boy

5.4. The Use of Active into Passive Sentences.

The passive sentences are used in place of corresponding active sentence.

5.4.1. the use of Active into Passive in the Simple Present Tense.

For example:

Lina opens the window : Active

The window is opened by Lina : Passive

5.4.2. The Use of Active into passive in the present continuous tense

For example:

Lina is opening the window : Active

The window is being opened by Lina : Passive

5.4.3. The Use of Active into Passive In the future tense.

For example:

Lina will open the window : Active

The window will be opened by Lina : Passive

5.4.4. the use of Active into Passive in the future continuous tense.

For example:

Lina will opening the window : Active

The window will being opened by Lina : Passive

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5.4.5. The use of Active into Passive in the simple past tense

For example:

Lina opened the window : Active

The window was opened by Lina : Passive

5.4.6. The Use of Active into passive in the past continuous tense

For example:

Lina was be opening the window : Active

The window was be being opened by Lina : Passive

5.5. Related Study

In this part, the writer describes the previous study related to the topic

investigated. The previous study here has been written by Willy Wijaya (1999) and

Muslimatin (1997).

Willy Wijaya’s thesis entitled “ A Contrastive Analysis between English and

Indonesian Passive voice in Sentences Contraction” and “ Muslimatin’s thesis

entitled “ The Second Year Students’ difficulties in studying Active and Passive

voice at SMK PGRI Lubuk Linggau”.

Willy Wijaya’s found that to grammatical forms only which exist English

passive voice and Indonesia passive voice. The objectives of her study way to

describe what are the similarities and the differences between English and Indonesia

Passive voice.

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Muslimatin’s found that many student of the second year of SMK PGRI

Lubuk Linggau had difficulties in using active and passive voice. The objective of her

study was described the errors made by the students and to found out that the

students’ still got difficulties in using studying active and passive voice.

Muslimatin’s thesis and Willy wijaya’s thesis have similarities and different

to this research. The similarity is of the same objectives. The problems was

Muslimatin’s were limited to the second year students’ SMK PGRI Lubuk Lingau

and the students’ ability in transform active sentences and passive sentences, use

correct pronouns in sentences, use correct form of “ be “. In sentences and use correct

forms of past participle in sentences. The problem was Willy wijaya’s theses were

limited by his study on passive voice in sentence constructions that using library

research and contrast the structures between English and Indonesian passive voice. In

this thesis the writer limits her study to changing into passive sentences at SMA

SHAILENDRA Palembang.

6. Research Procedure

6.1. Operational Definition

Operational definitions are very important to do this research because they can

make the readers understand more clearly what is being studied. In order not to cause

misunderstanding the key words are written as the title the writer give the definition

of sentences.

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In this study “difficult” means something that is hard to understand. The

difficulties deal with changing active into passive sentences.

The active indicates that the subject of a sentence was does the action, for

example “She drove the car”.

The passive indicate that the subject of a sentence is affected by the action,

For example “ She was bitten by dog”.

6.2. Method of Research

In this study the writer will use the descriptive method. The term “method”

means way of doing something.

A descriptive method study describes and interprets what it is. It is concerned

with conditions or relationships that exist, opinions that are held, processes that are

going on, effects that are evident, or trends that are developing. It is primarily

concerned with the present although it is often considered past events and influence

as relate to current conditions (best, 1993:105). It is concerned with the analysis of

the relationship between no manipulated variables and the developmental of

generalizations, extending its conclusions beyond the sample observed. Based on the

method above, the writer thinks that this method will be suitable to formulate, solve

the problem, also analyse the data.

Since the writer uses the descriptive method in doing this study, the writer

takes some steps, they are:

1. Reading some relevant books;

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2. formulating the problems and the objectives of the research;

3. writing the research proposal;

4. making some questions for the test;

5. giving the students test;

6. collecting the data;

7. analysing the data.

6.3. Population and sample

6.3.1. Population

According to Morris (1975:1020), “ population is the entire set of individuals

or scores from which a sample is drawn based on the statement. “ it is very important

to have the population and the sample to make the investigation running well.

Furthermore, Population means all the subject of investigation (Arikunto, 1998:102).

The population of this investigation was first year students of SMA Shailendra

Palembang. They were 280 students consisting of seven (7) classes as following

table.

TABLE 1THE POPULATION OF THE RESEARCH

NO Classes Total

1. 2.1 402 2.2 403 2.3 404 3.4 405 2.5 406 2.6 40

Total 240

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6.3.2 Sample

Sample means a part of the whole population of investigation (Arikunto,

1989:104). Furthermore Arikunto (1098:107) says: “If the subject of the investigation

is less than 100 all must be taken if the investigation to form population”. However if

the subject is more than 100, the samples were taken from 10 up to 15 % or from 20

up to 25 % or more. The writer takes sample randomly by picking out from the book.

TABLE 2

THE SAMPLE

NO. Classes Total

1 2.4 40

2 2.7 40

Total 80

6.4. The Technique of the Collection the Data

There is one instrument that will be used by the writer to collect the data,

namely: test.

The test consisted of 20 items in the form of essay questions. The test is given

to describe the errors made by the first year students’ of SMA SHAILENDRA

Palembang in learning active and passive voice. Since a test is one of suitable

techniques and relevant tools in collection the data by administrating the test orally or

writing because such instruments is the reliability is reliable way and easy to get

information.

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6.4.1 Validity

According to Richardrs, et al (1985:304), Validity is the degree to which a test

measure what it is supposed to measure or can be used successfully for the purposes

for which it is intended.

A good test should be valid: that is, it should measure what it is intended to

measure and nothing else. If a test does this, it is said to be valid. To what extend is

an oral interview a valid test of the oral skills (Heaton, 1975:153).

In order to make this research instrument valid, the writer will ask two thesis

advisor to give their suggestion, advice and correlation in constructing, the material to

make the test materials have high degree of content validity. Besides, She also tries to

synchronize the test items with the materials contained in the students’ text book.

6.4.2 Reliability

Reliability of the test material will be evaluated through the internal

consistency reliability. It is a measure of the degree to which the items or parts of the

test are homogenous or consistent with each other see Richard’ et al (1985:146). The

formula that will be used is Kuder-Richardson 21 (KR 21) formula see Freankel and

Wallen (1993:28) as follows:

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Where is:

KR 21 = Kuder-Richard reliability coefficient

K = Number of item in the test

M = Men of the test of the test scores

SD = Standard deviation of the set of the test score is follows

The formula:

Dealing with it, Freankle and Wallen (1993:149) write that for research

purpose, a useful ruler is that reliability should be at least 0.70 and preferably higher.

6.5. The Technique for Analysis the Data

There are two techniques used in analysing the data obtained, they are:

1. Percentage Analyses

The percentage analysis are used to know the students, structure in increasing

their reading by using active and passive sentences. The formula is as follows:

Where is:

C = Number of correct answer

I = Number of items

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S = Number of samples

R= the result of percentage

2. Conversation of the percentage range

A general are used in five scale absolute standards, they are as follows:

Percentage Range Qualification

90-100

70-89

55-60

40-54

0-39

Excellent

Good

Fair

Poor

Fail

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