Abstract:
The ultimate aim of this study is to find out the punctuation errors in the essays of Adamu D/A
Junior High School pupils; to ascertain why the pupils commit punctuation errors in their essays
and come out with solutions that will help solve the situation. The research design used is
participatory action research. Eighteen pupils and two teachers of English were sampled through
purposive and simple random sampling technique. Questionnaire, interview, observation and
class test were the research instruments employed to collect the data. The results of the findings
revealed that the pupils’ commonest punctuations errors were overgeneralization, omission and
wrong placing of the said marks. The implications of this study to teachers of English are that
English teachers need to devote more time to the teaching of punctuations and also need to
encourage the pupils to read more story books. In addition, teachers of English in should
endeavor to insert the correct punctuation marks at where they ought to be during the marking for
the pupils to know how to place them correctly. Lastly, more exercises on punctuations and essay
writing should be given to the pupils to practice frequently, for practice they say leads to
perfection.
Description:
A THESIS IN THE DEPARTMENT OF APPLIED LINGUISTICS, FACULTY OF
FOREIGN LANGUAGES EDUCATION AND COMMUNICATION SUBMITTED TO
THE SCHOOL OF GRADUATE STUDIES, UNIVERSITY OF EDUCATION, WINNEBA
IN PARTIAL FULFILMENT OF THE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE AWARD OF
MASTER OF EDUCATION IN TEACHING ENGLISH AS A SECOND LANGUAGE
(TESL)
SEPTEMBR, 2018
