Problems Of English Auxiliaries Among Students

 

 

ABSTRACT

 

The English verb poses major difficulty to learners and users of English as a second language. Part of the problem lies on the interference relationship between the verb system in English and the verb system of the learner’s native language. For proper manipulation of the grammatical structure of the target language, however, the learner must be able to handle the various aspects of the verb effectively. The problem of the mainverbinEnglishisenormousbutthedifficultyofproperuseoftheauxiliaryverbsis more complex since learners have to first distinguish between the main verb and the auxiliaries in terms of structure and function. Therefore, if the second language learner must be effective in the grammar of the English language, there is the need for him to have good knowledge of the verb system since the verb by its nature is problematic. The teacher and the learner should be conscious of this inevitable position of the verb and accord the teaching and learning of the English verb in general and its auxiliaries in particular the attention and seriousness they deserve. This research was therefore designed to examine the problems inherent in the English verb with particular reference to its auxiliaries. Descriptive method of data collection was used where a sample of the populationwasadministeredwithwrittentesttofindoutthelevelofefficiencyintheuse of verbs and auxiliary verbs, and to show how misuse could hinder effective communication. On the basis of the findings of this research, it was discovered that the students display confusion in the proper use of the English auxiliaries. Also they do not have clear knowledge of the verbal element. They find it very difficult to differentiate between the past forms of the auxiliary verbs and their modal equivalent. Another major problem in effective manipulation of verbs is the inherent structural irregularities within the verb system. Based on these findings, the following recommendations were made. Teachers of the English language in Nigerian school should be encouraged by improving their initiatives through conferences and seminars in English language teaching. Again,

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CHAPTER ONE INTRODUCTION

1.1             Background of the Study

 

The place of the English language as a language of compromise is well establishedasitservesastheonlylanguagethatcutsacrossethnicboundariesinNigeria. It behaves learners, therefore, to do everything possible to learn it well and become competent

Accuracy in speech and writing makes effective understanding a reality. But wrong sentences or misuse of words can hinder communication. They can be likened to defective electric wiring which possesses a loose screw or an unsoldered joint that may simply break the circuit and obstruct the functioning of a machine or cause a short- circuitingthatwillburndownabuilding.TheeffectofbadEnglishisquitesimilartothis. It may result in misunderstanding and may short–circuit the listener’s inflammable temper and lead to fire alarm. (Eyisi,2003:11).

Writing is a crucial art in the process of learning a foreign language,like English, which has become the language of global communication. The ability to write clearly is essential for effective communication and critical to employment and production in the contemporary world.

In the use of language both the spoken and written English are considered important for effective communication. Educators in Nigeria, as well as university and polytechnic lecturers all over the country, have had some complaints ranging from poor quality of the writing of their graduates and misuse of the English auxiliaries among the students.

Unfortunately, in a second language situation, such as Nigeria, the errors became multifarious with regards to the English auxiliaries because students study the target language against the background of their mother tongues in which they have attained a reasonable degree of competence. The verb is a major part of speech in English. Among the major parts of speech, the verb plays about the most important role in helping us to communicate our ideas. It is possible in some sentences for us to omit the other major parts of speech (Noun, Adjective or Adverb) without altering the meaning, but the omission of the verb produces a meaningless group of words. It is the verb that states what somebody or something does or what state the person or thing is in, as in the following examples..

John walks to school everyday. My mother cooked rice yesterday.

Theauxiliaryverbhasreceivedmanydefinitionsfromdifferentwritersaswellas practioners. Crystal (1995:212) sees the auxiliary (or helping) verbs as those verbs that assist the main verb in a clause to express basic grammatical contrasts,such as in person, number, and tense. They do not follow the same grammatical rules as the main verb which is why they must be considered as a separate class.