Tense usage difficulties a case in Nyimati JHS one students

Abstract

The researcher identified the problem of pupils inability to use past tense well at Nyamati JHS one in the Sissala West District of the Upper West region in Ghana. The purpose of this paper is to identify the underlying factors for the weakness of tense usage and address the practical problems faced by the students of JHS one students to use tenses appropriately in communication. The research design was qualitative. The target population for the study was the pupils of Nyimati JHS in the Sissala West District of the Upper West region in Ghana. In this research the census technique was used to select all the JHS One students (N = 22) of Nyimati JHS to examine their first term exams answer sheets for English Language for the 2019/2020 academic year. The instruments used for the research are observation, interview and test. Based on the responses given by pupils and teachers it was found out that the students had difficulty in tense usage and it affected their general academic performances. Students’ score in English language was the lowest among the four core subjects studied at the JHS.