PROBLEMS OF ENGLISH AUXILIARIES AMONG STUDENTS OF THE
FEDERAL POLYTECHNIC, OKO
BY
UGOJI, STELLA C.
PG/MA/06/42197
DEPARTMENT OF ENGLISH AND LITERARY STUDIES
FACULTY OF ARTS
UNIVERSITY OF NIGERIA, NSUKKA
NOVEMBER 2009
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TITLE PAGE
PROBLEMS OF ENGLISH AUXILIARIES AMONG STUDENTS OF THE
FEDERAL POLYTECHNIC, OKO
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APPROVAL PAGE
I, Professor Samuel. Onuigbo, of the Department of English and Literary Studies,
University of Nigeria, Nsukka, do approve this project as having fulfilled the
requirements for the award of the Master of Arts in English and Literary studies of the
University of Nigeria, Nsukka.
_________________
Supervisor
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CERTIFICATION
This is to certify that this project is an independent study carried out by Ugoji,
Stella C. With the registration number: PG/MA/06/42197 of the Department of English
and Literary Studies, University of Nigeria, Nsukka, and that this work has not been
presented in part or full for the award of any diploma or degree in this or any other
university.
_______________
Supervisor
_________________________
Dean, Faculty of Arts
_______________________
Head of Department
_____________________
External Examiner
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DEDICATION
This thesis is dedicated to God who saw me through these years in the University.
I give Him all thanks for without his partnership I would not have made it.
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ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
I would like to express my indebtedness and appreciation to a good number of
people for their inspiration, encouragement and support without which the work would
certainly not have been successful. I am thankful to God who saw me through all my
endeavours with good health, provision and journey mercies throughout the course of my
studies. I want to say a big thank you to my spiritual director, the Rev. Fr Fidelis Ugozor,
the Rev. Fr. Paul Azuakor, Sster Ebele Nwuzor and all the children of God in St Peter’s
Catholic Church, Oko for their spiritual support and prayers throughout these years. My
special appreciation goes to my project supervisor, Prof. Samuel Onuigbo, who with
outstanding diligence, patiently read and corrected the earlier versions of this work. I am
highly indebted to him. A big thank you goes to my friends Mrs Egwuchukwu IkeOkafor, Mrs Oby Okoye, Uche Udenweze and Dr. Mrs Ngozi Onwuka for their
encouragement, love, support and advice throughout this programme. Thank you. I wish
to express my profound gratitude to Mr. Chibuzor Onunkwo, for his brotherly and
friendly role throughout the course of this project. My thanks also go to the Dean, Faculty
of Arts, Prof. Damian Opata, and all the lecturers in the Department of English and
Literary Studies for their various contributions to my academic growth. May God bless
you all.
I am not forgetting you my father Anthony Ujoji and my brothers Michael,
Cosmas and my only sister Maria. I thank you for all the help you gave me especially
when I was in need. May God bless and reward you a thousand folds. Above all, I give all
the glory, adoration, honour and thanksgiving to the Eucharistic Jesus for the guidance,
healthy body, journey mercies, sustenance and wisdom he provided me for this project.
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
Title page ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------
i
Approval ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
ii
Certification ------------------------------------------------------------------------------
iii
Dedication --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
iv
Acknowledgements ---------------------------------------------------------------------
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Table of Contents -----------------------------------------------------------------------
vi
Abstract -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
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CHAPTER ONE: INTRODUCTION ---------------------------------------------
1
1.1 Background of the Study ---------------------------------------------------------
1
1.2 The Objectives of the Study ------------------------------------------------------
6
1.3 The Relevance of the Study ------------------------------------------------------
7
1.4 The Research Problem ------------------------------------------------------------
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1.5 The Scope of the Study -----------------------------------------------------------
10
CHAPTER TWO: LITERATURE REVIEW------------------------------------
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2.1 Auxiliaries in the English Grammar ………………………………………
14
2.2 The Problems of English Auxiliaries………………………………………
15
2.3 Functions of Auxiliary Verbs………………………………………………
18
2.4 Improper Use of Auxiliary Verbs………………………………………….
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2.5 Summary…………………………………………………………………...
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CHAPTER THREE: METHODOLOGY
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21
3.1 The Research Design ---------------------------------------------------------------
21
3.2 The Areas of Study------------------------------------------------------------------
21
3.3 The Population ----------------------------------------------------------------------
22
3.4 The Sampling Technique-----------------------------------------------------------
22
3.5 The Research Instrument-----------------------------------------------------------
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3.6 The Method of Data Analysis ----------------------------------------------------
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CHAPTER FOUR: THE ANALYSIS OF DATA ------------------------------
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4.1 The Analysis of Sentences --------------------------------------------------------
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CHAPTER FIVE: DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSION ---------------------
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5.1 Discussion of Findings -------------------------------------------------------------
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5.2 Conclusion ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
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5.3 Suggestions and Recommendations for Further Studies ----------------------
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Works Cited--------------------------------------------------------------------------
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Appendix
39
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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
main verb in English is enormous but the difficulty of proper use of the auxiliary verbs is
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
population was administered with written test to find out the level of efficiency in the use
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 schools should be encouraged by improving
their initiatives through conferences and seminars in English language teaching. Again,
the government and heads of schools should ensure that only graduate teachers and
ix
experts in English language are assigned the duty of teaching the English grammar. The
study shows that it is only by identifying the problems and handling them effectively that
learners and users of auxiliary verbs in English could improve their proficiency in the
grammar of the language.
1
CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
1.1
Background of the Study
The place of the English language as a language of compromise is well
established as it serves as the only language that cuts across ethnic boundaries in Nigeria.
It behoves learners, therefore, to do everything possible to learn it well and become
competent in it.
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 shortcircuiting that will burn down a building. The effect of bad English is quite similar to this.
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. They are currently faced with the challenge of adopting and developing a wide
range of methods for effective teaching of English writing. This, of course, is not an easy
task. Nothing gladdens the hearts of teachers more than the fact that their students are
doing well in their subject areas. Teachers of English in Nigeria yearn to share in this joy.
2
Their usual concern is how to eliminate all the errors committed by their students, and so
helps them speak and write English correctly (Eyisi, 2003:12).
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.
The auxiliary verb has received many definitions from different writers as well as
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.
Onuigbo (2005: 22) in his own view maintains that the primary function of the
auxiliary verbs is to help the main or full verbs to form their tenses – past and present.
And to form futurity in the English language, the presence of the auxiliary verbs is
indispensable. They are further sub-divided into two: Primary and Modal auxiliary verbs.
Primary Auxiliary Verbs are only three in the language. They are have, do and be.
The three have two common features. One, they all end in ‘s’ in their third person
singular present tense. For example:
3
Emmanuel is here.
Okoro always has a radio set.
Bello does his work well.
Two, the three in some sentences function as full verbs and in some others they help the
main verbs of the sentences to form their tenses. In these sentences, they are used as full
verbs:
They had a nice meal after the long fasting.
She did her house chores in time.
But in the sentences below they help the main verbs to form their tenses:
Jane is washing her clothes.
They were arguing over the electric bills.
The butcher had killed the cow.
Note, however, that the verb be is the most inflected verb amongst the three. In fact, it is
the most inflected verb in the English language. Its forms include: am, are, is, was, were,
being, been, and be.
The Modal Auxiliary Verbs are the second type of the auxiliary verbs. Busman (1996:
307) states that modal auxiliaries “are semantically defined subset of verbs which express
modal meaning in connection with an infinitive of a main verb: can, want, must, should,
may, shall, will, would as well as some marginal ones (dare, ought to, etc.)”. He goes
ahead to state that two main functions of modal verbs are:
(a) Specification of the semantic relationship between the subject and the action
described by the verb, such as suspicion, necessity, permission.
(b) Expression of the speaker’s subjective attitude towards the utterance; i.e. they
serve as paraphrases of verbal mood.
Crystal (1992:317) cited in Ndimele Trends in the Study of Languages &
Linguistics (2005) describes modal auxiliaries as “verb-like words, which typically
4
express speakers’ attitudes towards the factual content of an utterance, such as
uncertainty, possibility, and necessity.” Unlike the primary ones, they are never used as
full verbs in sentences. Below is a list of some of the modal auxiliary verbs with their past
forms:
PRESENT
PAST
shall
should
will
would
may
might
can
could
dare
dared
must
must
ought
ought
Note that the modal auxiliary verbs neither take the –ed and –en suffixes nor the –
ing suffix of verbs. Note further that even though in American English, the auxiliary
verbs shall and will, are used interchangeably, in British English, especially in the formal
styles, there is still the maintenance of the slight distinction between the two as prescribed
by classical grammarians. To indicate simple future in British English, shall is preferred
to will in the first person singular and plural.
I shall go to Lagos on Tuesday.
We shall eat rice in the morning.
It is further recommended that will should indicate futurity in the second and third
person singular and plural.
He will travel to Abuja the day after tomorrow.
They will plait their hair in a fortnight.
Apart from the above definitions, Ogbulogu’s (1998) definition differs slightly by
saying that auxiliary verbs are those verbs that are used to complete the meaning of other
verbs. They are also called helping verbs, anomalous, finites, special finites or modal
5
auxiliaries by writers. In making complete the meanings of other verbs, they help to
indicate tense, aspect, mood, and even voice.
Some see grammar simply as a set of normative rules that determine correctness.
A sentence therefore, is incorrect if it contravenes any of the rules. Based on the
characteristics of written English, normative rules of grammar have their foundation on
logic, aesthetic qualities of the forms used, history of usage, and authoritative support of
usage by the best writers (Oluikpe, 1979:47). It appears that the yardstick for admission
into the select group of the educated in the Nigerian situation is one’s performance in the
English language. It means also that the bastion of education, at least as the public sees it,
is the development in the student of a high level competence in the English language
(Oluikpe, 1979:47).
To develop this needed competence and to ensure a high level of performance,
one has to internalize the structure of the language to the point of automacity (Oluikpe,
1979:47). Critics of the products of our educational institutions believe, therefore, that
our students are poor performers in the use of auxiliary verbs as well as in the English
language because they have not internalized the grammar of the language to the point of
automacity. In this research, the common expressions made by users and learners of the
English language as it concerns the auxiliary verbs in the Federal Polytechnic, Oko is
looked into. Some of these expressions have remained so consistent in their high
frequency of occurrence that many people now feel that they are acceptable in English.
As a result, in many cases, it becomes very difficult for a teacher to convince his students
that such expressions, which they have heard, and read for over a long period of time
even from well-educated people are sheer grammatical blunders (Eyisi, 2003:12).
The thrust of this work is to show that an erroneous expression remains an
erroneous expression; it does not matter who says it or who writes it. It is anticipated that
after going through this project, one will make correct use of auxiliary verbs so much part
6
of one’s thought that whenever one speaks or writes, the correct version will appear
spontaneously.
Thus, holding the view that competence in grammar is as consequential as
competence in communication, the researcher sought to investigate, identify and analyze
the problems of the English auxiliaries among the students of Federal Polytechnic, Oko.
1.2
The Objectives of the Study
Many students display some confusion in the use of English auxiliaries. In
linguistics, an auxiliary (also called helping verb), is a verb functioning to give further
semantic, or syntactic information about the main verb following it. In English, the extra
meaning an auxiliary verb imparts alters the basic form of the main verb to have one or
more of the following functions: passive, progressive, perfect, modal, or dommy. The
primary auxiliary verbs are “be,” “do,” and “have.” The modal auxiliaries are can, could,
may, might, shall, should, will, would, and must. Modal verbs are defined as a category of
the auxiliaries in that they too are “helping” verbs. They help the main verb to express a
range of meanings: possibility, probability, certainty, permission, request, instructions,
suggestions, offers and invitations, wants and wishes, obligation and necessity (Jarvie,
1993).
There is a syntactic difference between an auxiliary verb and a full verb; that is,
each has a different grammatical function within the sentence. In English, and in many
other languages, there are some verbs that can act either as auxiliary or as full verbs, such
as be (“I am writing a letter;” “ I am a postman”) and have (“I have written a letter;” “I
have a letter”). In case of “be”, it is sometimes ambiguous whether it is auxiliary or not;
for example, “The ice cream was melted” could mean either someone/something melted
the ice cream (in which case melt would be the main verb) or the ice cream was mostly
liquid (in which case be would ‘be’ the main verb).
7
This project is based entirely on the problems of the English auxiliaries among the
students of Federal Polytechnic, Oko. The objective of this work is therefore, to make
known to readers the importance and functions of the English auxiliary verbs and to learn
from commonly misused expressions to avoid ambiguity, confusion, misunderstanding
and embarrassment, which the misuse creates in everyday communication in our students.
It builds up a body of knowledge about the proper and improper uses of the English
auxiliaries.
In specific terms, the study aims at the following,
(a).
To analyze critically the written tests of second year students of Federal
Polytechnic, Oko with a view to identifying systematic and recurrent errors in
their use of English auxiliaries.
(b).
To classify the errors identified in the order of frequency.
(c).
To discuss fully reasons that might have engendered the errors analyzed in the
study.
1.3
The Relevance of the Study
Language is that organized system of communication by man. Every language has
its peculiarities and no two languages are exactly the same. Code-mixing is often
encountered in language contact situations and these are quite common among second
language users in Nigeria.
Nigeria is a multilingual society with over four hundred spoken languages. Only
three: Hausa, Igbo and Yoruba are recognized as the major native languages by the 1999
constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. These three, of course, have written
forms. The English Language is not indigenous to Nigeria but it is her lingua franca.
Languages serve the same purpose but the English language has an edge over the other
languages of the world. Quirk (1978) says that “English is the world’s most important
8
language”. The language has been so well accepted that it has become the linguistic
property of the educated Nigerians. It is the language of formal education, newspapers,
journals, law courts and the main medium of communication in this multilingual nation,
Nigeria.
It is true that studying or speaking a foreign language is not always easy because
of the complex nature of language learning and also because the structures of the second
language are normally in contradiction with the structures of the learners’ first language.
However, because of the place of pride, which English has occupied in Nigeria, the
structures of the language have to be mastered. The mastery is necessary to avoid
linguistic embarrassment, promote international intelligibility, and reduce to the barest
minimum, the learning of English by analogy. Unfortunately, the use of English language
auxiliaries constitutes a great problem to many of our students and learners of the
language. Thus, competence in grammar is as consequential as competence in
communication. The misuse of auxiliary verb is not even peculiar to the students but also
among older users of the language.
This project is relevant because it aimed at bringing to the fore, the various
conventional uses of the auxiliary verbs while pointing out at the same time common
areas of misuse by these students and users of the English language. This will enable both
the students and other users of the English to overcome the problems of the learning and
use of the auxiliaries.
The study is equally significant in the following ways:
a.
It will contribute to existing knowledge on the importance of grammaticality and
acceptability of the English language communication and show how the abuse can
pose a threat to effective communication in the students and their teachers.
b.
It will reveal those common problematic areas and show how their misuse hinders
effective communication.
9
c.
It will be beneficial to all users of English in Nigeria, especially English
instructors and learners.
d.
The result of the finding will highlight those linguistic obstacles which hinder
effective communication among teachers and students and thus stimulate more
researchers into the field of investigation.
Finally, the suggestions that will be given at the end of the study will go a long
way in improving the quality of both the written and spoken English of the students and
the entire populace. Teachers of English language will be spurred into more research for
better and improved methods of teaching English language so as to minimize and
eradicate grammatical errors in students’ writing.
1.4
The Research Problem
Nigerian students in tertiary institutions are the products of two languages, the
mother tongue (L1) and English language (L2). These students who are most of the time
not well grounded in the English language often engage in transliteration due to
interference of their first language. The students display confusion in the use of English
auxiliaries. Such misuse either changes the intended meaning or brings about nonstandard English usages, which cause a breakdown in communication. There is a
syntactic difference between an auxiliary verb and a full verb; that is, each has a different
grammatical function within the sentence. The auxiliaries are used and misused mostly
with the past participle, passive voice, present participle, progressive aspect and perfect
aspect. The need to examine these areas which have not been fully analyzed is the central
focus of this project. There is a great difference between the auxiliaries and the main
verbs. Much work has been done in the area of the main verb and the problems
experienced by the second language learners but the auxiliaries are yet to be given the
10
kind of detailed study we have with the verbs. This explains why the project is designed
to provide part of the data required for effective study of the auxiliary verbs in English.
Poor performance of these students in English language has caused a lot of
anxiety and grief not only to the students but also to educationists, teachers, parents and
even the government. Investigations have shown that students’ poor performance in
English language is basically in the area of grammar and structure. One of the problems is
that many Nigerian speakers of the English language cannot speak and write the language
effectively and express Nigerian thoughts and values adequately. It is this problem that
the project sets to examine in order to find out, identify and analyze the problems of the
English auxiliaries among the users and learners of English in the written tests of year II
students of Federal Polytechnic, Oko.
1.6
The Scope of the Study
This work does not claim to be exhaustive because of the constraints posed by
time and space. This topic is apparently unexplored by many scholars and as a result, the
researcher is faced with the problem of books that deal extensively on the topic.
However, the data for the study are largely drawn from the written tests of year II
students of Federal Polytechnic, Oko. The test will deal mainly on the misuse of the
English auxiliaries and give examples of such misuse from sources mentioned above.
11
CHAPTER TWO
LITERATURE REVIEW
Auxiliaries in the English Grammar
The essence of this chapter is to review the relevant literature in the field with
reference to the problems of English auxiliaries. Oji (1988:5) writes that “in the not too
distant past, it was propounded that knowledge of grammar was not essential for the
mastery of a given language.” Those who accepted the theory failed to understand that
one’s mother tongue is not the same as one’s second language in terms of the process of
language acquisition. Everybody concedes that one speaks one’s mother tongue without
necessarily bothering oneself about the grammatical conventions of the language. A
second-language learner, on the other hand, has to command, to a considerable degree,
the grammar of such a language before he can make pretensions to the mastery of it,
because, whereas a first language speaker or learner has internalized the repertoire from
which he draws the grammatical rules of his language, the second language leaner is not
so endowed.
For this reason, it appears that the falling standard of English in West Africa as
elsewhere is, in great part, due to the neglect which has been the lot of English grammar
in schools, polytechnics and universities.” Brook (1990:12) cited in Ozioko (2007: 15).
writes that “knowledge of the grammar of a language borne out of thorough linguistic
study is a prerequisite to proficiency in language.” Proficient use of a language reduces
ambiguity, which can hamper communication. People who have sound knowledge of
English grammar, for instance, and their counterparts who do not have such a privilege
may end up giving different meanings and interpretations to English sentenses. The
auxiliary verbs are part of the grammatical units, which the learner must acquire. As has
been noted earlier Onuigbo 2005 also joined the aforementioned scholars to reinforce the
importance of auxiliary verbs. Oji (1988:25) opines that auxiliary verbs have the main
12
function of helping the lexical verbs to form their tense.
Thomson and Martinet
(1986:109) assert that auxiliaries help to form a tense or an expression, hence the name.
They combine with present or past participle or with infinitives to form the tenses of
ordinary verbs.
According to Ogbulogu (1998:53), auxiliary verbs are those verbs that are used to
complete the meaning of other verbs.
In sentences (1-3), the verb in italics are usually called ‘auxiliary verbs.’
(1)
It is raining.
(2)
You have been overcharged.
(3)
It must have been raining.
These auxiliary verbs are distinguished from other verbs by two characteristics:
They are each followed by a non-finite verb which they ‘support’ in various ways. The
term ‘auxiliary verb’ refers to this support role (Think of ‘auxiliary teacher,’ a support
teacher.) They are also syntactically special in a number of ways that are quite separate
from the support role; for example, English auxiliary verbs are unlike other verbs in
allowing subject inversion:
(4)
It is raining - Is it raining?
(5)
She wrote a book – BUT NOT Wrote she a book?
The trouble is that these two characteristics are separate and each defines a
different group of verbs to which grammarians give distinct names:
Verbs that combine with a following non-finite verb are often called ‘catenative
verbs’ (where the term ‘catenative’ means ‘chaining’ – Latin catena, ‘chain’). This term
includes verbs like get, keep, start, help as well as the traditional auxiliary verbs:
(6)
She was/got chosen for the job
(7)
She was/kept talking
(8)
She ought/started to talk
13
(9)
She will/helped wash up.
Verbs that allow subject inversion (and other grammatical patterns to be listed
below) are called ‘operators.’ So the rule for subject inversion is to ‘put an operator
before the subject.’ This term includes the verb ‘be’ in all its uses, and not just when it
supports another verb, and also the verb ‘have’ when it means ‘possess.’
All the
following sentences therefore, contain operators which are not catenatives.
(10)
She is ready – Is she ready?
(11)
She has some money – Has she any money?
The clear cases of auxiliary verbs combine the two sets of properties, so we can
provisionally define auxiliary verbs like this:
An auxiliary verb is a catenative which is also an operator. The auxiliary verbs
defined by this criterion are:
* be, when followed by a non-finite verb (is working, was chosen, is to go)
* have ,when followed by a past participle (have finished).
* do, when followed by an infinitive (did know)
* will, shall, can, may, must, ought
* (for some speakers) used, dare and need.
An auxiliary verb is a verb which accompanies the lexical verb of a verb phrase, and
expresses grammatical distinctions not carried by the lexical verb, such as:
* person
* number
* tense
* aspect and
* voice
An auxiliary verb is a word that modifies the meaning of another verb in a sentence and
may also be known as a helping verb.
14
Auxiliary verbs, according to Ndimele (1999:104) have been traditionally described as
helping verbs in the sense that they help the main verbs to bear markers of tense, aspect,
mood and negation, in most languages. In English, the auxiliary verb normally precedes
the main verb. Ononye et al (1992:9) see the auxiliary verbs as the helping verbs. They
cannot exist on their own but help to make up verb phrases.
Nutsukpo (1990:74) says that the word ‘auxiliary’ comes from the Latin word
auxilium, meaning help. Thus, auxiliary verbs are alternatively called helping verbs. And
they do help to form various constructions, and to indicate the mood of a speaker/writer.
2.2 The Problems of English Auxiliaries
Experts in Nigerian English have identified three major groups of users of the
English Language based on the levels of performance. The first group comprises those
Nigerians whose use of English is similar in many respects to the standard used by an
average educated Englishman. The second group consists of those whose use of English
is quite high, but not as high as that of those in the first group. The third group consist of
those Nigerians whose use of English is full of mistakes in pronunciation, choice of
words and grammar. Areas of major difficulty usually lie in the handling of English
tenses, but the grammar and lexis of one language often interfere with the other. This is
supported with the fact that languages are diverse and any attempt to pattern them as
traditional grammarians attempted would prove erroneous. It is, therefore, wrong for
English users and learners to omit the English auxiliaries simply because of the
interference of their mother tongue. Strevens (1973) cited in Oluikpe (2007:105) sums up
the relationship between language, science and technology in this way:
Being a scientist or technologist entails learning a number of habits of
thought, that these habits of thought directly affect his use of language,
and that the scientist can only function as scientist if he learns how to
use language appropriate to these habits of thought.
15
Ikeagwu (1991) cited in Ozioko (2007), identified language as a major impediment to
effective communication in the media. He also says that the English language dominates
every other language in Nigerian media houses. Since language is the barrier, and since
English is the major language, it then implies that incompetence in the knowledge and in
the use of the language, is the greatest cause of the barrier in communication in the
media. Frank Angelo complains that ‘lack of precision in our use of words in stories and
headlines are things that disturb our readers and listeners.” Supporting him, Crowell
warns that “without a subject, a verb seems to be giving command.’
2.3
Functions of Auxiliary Verbs
Rodney Huddleston, (1996) posits that auxiliary verb may be defined as applying
to a syntactically distinct verb class whose members have the following properties.
(a)
They express meanings or mark grammatical categories of the kind that are often
expressed or marked by inflections – e.g. tense, mood, aspect, voice.
(b)
They function as dependent to the verb they enter into construction with.
In linguistics, an auxiliary (also called helping verb, auxiliary verb, or verbal
auxiliary) is a verb functioning to give further semantic or syntactic information
about the main or full verb following it.
In English, the extra meaning an
auxiliary verb imparts alters the basic form of the main verb to have one or more
of the following functions: passive, progressive, perfect, modal, or dummy.
Ujowundu, C.O. (2001) in his own view posits that auxiliary verbs are
those “that help the main verbs to perform the functions they do in sentences. In
traditional grammar, they are referred to as helping verbs.”
Palmer, F. R. (1974) says that the ‘auxiliary verbs differ morphologically
from the other verbs in several ways. First, none of them have a present third
person singular form that differs from other present forms only by having final – s
[ s ], [ z ] or [ iz ]. Most of them, have no distinct third person (I can, he can) at
16
all, while the form is, has and does [dΛ z] cannot (in spoken form) be interpreted
phonologically as am (or are), have and do [ du: ] respectively, plus – s.
The verb BE has other idiosyncratic forms too.
Lastly, most of the
auxiliary verbs have ‘weak’ forms, as well as ‘strong’ forms, the former occurring
only when unstressed.
Auxiliary verbs are a small class of words, made up of primary auxiliary
like be and modal auxiliaries can. Auxiliary verbs are structurally necessary for
certain constructions (especially negative and question clause), and these
constructions enable us to distinguish them from main verbs.
(a)
Auxiliary verbs can be placed before the negative word not:
I am not working today.
(b)
Auxiliary verbs can be placed before the subject in questions:
Can I help?
An auxiliary verb can occur without a main verb, but only where the main verb is omitted
because it is supplied by earlier context.
I can speak French as well as she can.
According to Bussman (1996:45) cited in Ndimele (2005) the auxiliary is a
“subcategory of verbs which can be distinguished from the main verbs by semantic and
syntactic criteria.” Auxiliaries typically occur as exponents of morphological categories
such as tense, mood, voice, number and person.
It is also very significant that McCawley (1971:79) cited in Palmer (1979) argues
‘that the traditional term auxiliary verb is syntactically justified;’ yet his analysis, which
treats tenses as well as the auxiliaries as underlying sentences, is clearly not based upon
the syntactic behaviour of the auxiliaries, but solely upon a decision to treat all the
grammatical – semantic features in this way.
17
Ifejirika, E. (2002:22) defines auxiliary verb as a verb that helps another verb in a
sentence to make complete sense.
The only verb forms that compulsorily need an
auxiliary verb are the verbs in the continuous or progressive aspect.
Modern English auxiliaries are a set of verbs which can be identified by their
mophosyntactic behaviour and by their semantic properties (or lack thereof).
Aremo Bolaji (2004:327) maintains that ‘auxiliaries are normally used only as
modifiers in the verb phrase. But sentences with only an auxiliary as the predicator are
often formed and used in informal speech.’
According to Utuagha B.I.C. (1994:215), auxiliary verbs are helping verbs. They
have the function of helping the main verbs to form their tenses.
H. E. Palmer pointed out that man has a spontaneous capacity for acquiring
speech as well as studial capacity. Palmer by no means belittle the studial process in
language learning and teaching. Nevertheless, he expressed himself as follows:
….it would appear that nearly everything that the average person actually does when
learning a foreign language comes under the heading of the studial process. He learns
rules in other to become proficient in analysis and synthesis; for the same purpose, he
memorizes the exceptions to the rules. He becomes (or hopes to become) an expert in
pulling words to pieces and in reconstructing them from roots and affixes, in sentence
making and sentence breaking. He learns chiefly by eye, and expresses himself chiefly by
pen-grasping hand. Indeed, he becomes so proficient in converting the spoken into the
written form that he cannot understand or retain the foreign words or sentences he learns
until he has converted them into an imaginary written form which, in his imagination,he
reads off words by word similarly, he finds himself only able to express himself by dint
of reading aloud the sentences which he is constructing bit by bit by a complicated
process of “mental writing.” He attaches great importance to etymology, and the time he
might spend is associating words with their meanings is often devoted to working out
18
what meanings the natives attach to their words and forms but much time identifying the
units of etymology and in tracing them from one language to another(John
Wilson,1967:40).
Umeh, S.C. (1998:33) posits that an auxiliary verb is a ‘verb used with the main
or lexical verb to show tense, mood, voice etc. Auxiliary verbs are sometimes called
anomalous, finites, special finites or modal auxiliaries.” Egwuchukwu, Ifensor (1996:24)
in her own view maintains that an auxiliary verb “is a helping verb, it helps the main verb
to form a verb group and assume its intended meaning.”
Uzoma, C.O. (ed) (1986:21) cited in Nka a Journal of The Arts (2001:45) was of
the view that ‘the verb is the most difficult part of speech for a second language user to
manipulate.’ Again ‘be,’ ‘have’ and ‘do’ are classified as auxiliary verbs but they still
function as lexical verbs in some cases. Also the verbs ‘could,’ ‘should,’ ‘would’ and
‘might’ are primarily used as past forms of ‘can,’ ‘shall,’ ‘will’ and ‘may.’
But
experience has shown that many a time these auxiliary verbs perform modal functions. It
is common to come across sentences like:
Please, do lend me your book.
She would visit me whenever she found it convenient.
2.4 Improper Use of Auxiliary Verbs
In view of the circumstance the second language learner or user is usually in
difficulty differentiating between the past forms of the auxiliary verbs and their modal
equivalent. This difficulty is evident in the confused manner the second language user
manipulates the modal auxiliary verbs and the past forms of the auxiliary verbs.
The overlap in categorization of the English verb is definitely a source of problem
to a second language user. He can hardly pin down some of the verbs of dual class so as
to be able to identify them with one class or another. Consequently, he uses the verb
indiscriminately, which ultimately gives rise to ill-formed utterances. The inconsistency
19
in the number of morphological variants each verb has made in the case of ‘be,’ which
has eight variants. The forms are be, am, is, are, was, were, been and being. With regard
to the inconsistency in the morphological variants of the verbs, one thing that is usually
striking is that there is the principle stating why some verbs should have either four or
five variants while others should have six or eight forms.
In the face of this
circumstance, the second language leaner is helpless, and may resort to guessing as a way
out of his predicament.
Of all the verbs which can occur in either the simple present tense or the present
progressive tense with quite different dictionary meanings, one of the most common –
and most difficult to master – is ‘have.’ ‘Have’ presents peculiar difficulties, not only
because it may appear in several different tenses with different lexical meanings, but
because it occurs sometimes as a verb and sometimes as an operator. Even when it is
used as a verb, its patterning is sometimes more like an operator. In some uses, it may
combine directly with ‘not’ to form the negative and may stand in front of the subject in
questions. For example:
He has a dictionary (has = possesses)
He hasn’t a dictionary? (hasn’t = does he possess?)
Has he a dictionary? (has he? = does he posses?)
The low achievement of student in English language has become a cause for
concern to many Nigerians. The West African Examination Council (1990 – 2000) in
Igbeyi (2002) cited in NJOLCS, (2007) has cried out that we might be heading for a
crisis unless the schools and education authorities take steps to arrest the deteriorating
situation “before the standard of English comes crashing on our head.”
The World Bank report on Nigerian graduates in the Guardian Newspapers (2001)
cited in Otagbuluagu (2007:22) highlighted among others “poor mastery of the English
Language.” The report emphasized the poor abilities of Nigerian students in the oral and
20
written expression of English and concluded that students are inadequately prepared in
the English Language. The observation made by this writer through interaction with
students and while marking students’ answer scripts show that most of them have
problem with communication, that is, communicating their ideas effectively. The need
for a virile instructional approach capable of improving students’ achievement in English
language therefore necessitated this study, an approach that can stimulate communication
in the language classroom.
Zaid (1995) cited in Igbeyi (2007) suggests as a second language situation, a
pedagogical methodology in which the learning activities play a key role.
This
methodology is seen as a practical orientation to modify traditional practices and to
increase the number of opportunities for language application in the classroom. There are
substantial theoretical and empirical grounds for believing that opportunities to negotiate
meaning through interaction, facilitates comprehension.
To state that the verb is the heart of the English grammar is to say the obvious.
Therefore, if the second language learner must be thorough in the grammar of the English
language, there is the need for him to have good knowledge of the verb and the auxiliary
as well. Since the verb and its auxiliary by nature are problematic, the teacher and the
learner should be conscious of this inevitable situation and accord the teaching and
learning of the English verb and its auxiliary in particular and the English grammar in
general the attention and seriousness they deserve. It is by so doing that the problems
inherent in the English verb and its auxiliaries among students and users would be
adequately taken care of. It is hoped that when the problems are taken care of, this would
pave way for appreciable competence in the use of English in a second language
situation.
2.5 Summary
21
The auxiliary verb is an outstanding area of English grammar which has received a lot
of critical attention from notable scholars. Notable among these scholars are Nzebunachi,
Oji, Samuel Onuigbo, Joy Eyisi, Brook, Thompson and Martinet, Ndinele to mention no
more. These scholars in their various works have critically examined the problems
associated with the misuse of auxiliary verbs. Even though, much work has been
undertaken in this area of studies, there is more work to be done. This project work is an
attempt to open up the problems and possibly to offer solution to the problems.
22
CHAPTER THREE
METHODOLOGY
The chapter is designed to show the methodology adopted to achieve the
objectives of this study for a meaningful research to be carried out, certain methods of
data collection should be involved. For the purpose of this study, the researcher will
collect examination scripts of the Year II students and analyze the tests by paying
particular attention to the grammatical errors, which are based on the problems of the
auxiliaries.
3.1
The Research Design
This is usually the blue print which determines the nature and scope of the study
carried out. According to Nworgu (1991:50) “a research design is a plan or blue print
which specifies how data relating to a given problem should be collected and analyzed. It
provides the procedural outlines for the conduct of any given investigation.” For the
purpose of this study, the researcher adopted a descriptive research design which
according to Best (1970: 40) is “ the condition or relationships that exists, practices that
prevail, belief, points of view or attitudes that are held, processes that are going on,
effects that are being felt or trends that are developing in order to describe, compare,
contrast, classify, analyze and interpret the entities and events.”
3.2
The Areas of Study
The area refers to the locality where the study is carried out. In this study the area
is Federal Polytechnic, Oko in Orumba North Local Government Area of Anambra State.
It is a Federal Institution located along Ekwulobia Umunze road. The group of people to
be tested are the Year 11 students in various disciplines whose mother tongue is Igbo
language, Hausa or Yoruba. The Year II students have had training in the use of English
language but still display some confusion in the use of English auxiliaries, and this test or
research is designed to test their abilities to manipulate the English auxiliaries in the
23
second language situation. It is believed that some sentences will be presented to them to
give the exact picture of their use of auxiliaries. The reason the researcher chose this
place is because English is the second language mainly spoken in the areas where the
school is situated.
3.3
The Population
The population of this study comprises ND11 students of Federal Polytechnic,
Oko. The Institution has thirty departments that house ND11 students with a total
population of 2,000. The number of learners and users of English as a second language
carefully selected from the population is the second year students of Federal Polytechnic,
Oko. They are expected to underline and fill in the correct verbs in the spaces provided.
Their performances and their abilities will be indicated. The students are tested
individually with the prepared sentences that are expected to reveal their grammatical
errors, which are based on the problems of the auxiliaries.
3.4
The Sampling Technique
The people to be used are randomly selected from the bigger population. There are
many departments in Federal Polytechnic, Oko but the departments that will be used are
the Departments of Computer Engineering, Business Administration, Estate Management
and Department of Food Science and Technology a total of 268 students.
3.5
The Research Instrument
One instrument was used to collect data for this study and it is the written test.
The written test will be administered to the students to see how competent they are in the
use of English auxiliaries and common expressions made by users and learners of the
English language. Some of the sentences where the students are required to identify the
correct verbal elements used in sentences are given below.
24
Circle the verbal element
1. Ballanda was deceived by the magician..
2. All the four boys are detained.
3. Hassan’s has been invited by the police.
4. She has been nominated for the award.
5. She has been promoted to the next level.
6. She has been cheated.
Complete each of the following sentences with the suitable option from the list given.
7. Ebere had ______ her work.
a) do (b) did (c) done (d) doing
8. If it rains, he ______ go to the farm.
a) will (b) would (c) would have to (d) went
9. I am not a lecturer, ________ I ?
A) aren’t
(b) aint (c) am I (d) do
10 For the past two hours, I_________ been going through this list without finding my
name.
a) have
(b) had (c) having (d) has
11. Ballanda was ___________ deceived by the magician.
a) being
(b) been (c) be
(d) beings
12. All the four boys _________ detained.
a) was being (b) is being (c) has being
(d) are being
13. Hassan’s _________ invited surprised everybody
a) being
(b) been (c) be
(d) not been
14. Having ________ nominated, he took everything for granted.
a) been
(b) being
(b) be
(d) beings
25
15. Our not having _________ promoted should not bother us.
a) being
(b) been (c) be
(d) beings
16. These boys shouted that they ______ been robbed.
a) have (b) had (c) has (d) having
17. The thieves ________ left before the police arrived.
a) has
(b) have (c) had (d) haven’t
18. He ___________ come if he knew the way.
a) will (b) will not
(c) would (d) ‘ll
19. The doctor prescribed that he ______ take the drug after meal.
a) shall (b) should (c) will (d) could
20. The police________here by now, but from the way things are, they are not here.
a) will be
(b) can be (c) ought to be (d) dare to be
21. Jerome _________ seek favour in his youth.
a) is used (b) used to (c) uses to (d) using to
22. We know Ojo________ do the job if he was around.
a) can (b) can’t (c) could (d) could be able
23. Borake ______ not touch Betty.
a) dares (b) dare (c) daren’t (d) didn’t dare
24. Chioma ______ assisting her with the house chores.
a) is (b) were (c) will (b) may
25. The students that studied hard ________ pass the examination.
a) may (b) will (c) would (d) can
3.6
The Method of Data Analysis
26
The students’ answers are collected and analyzed in order to determine areas of
their problems in the use of the English auxiliaries. The analysis will reveal the correct
answers and areas of difficulty in the use of the English auxiliaries. The student tests will
be analyzed and appropriate corrections will be given. In other words, the wrong and
correct sentences will be clearly written down and differentiated.
27
CHAPTER FOUR
THE ANALYSIS OF DATA
This chapter deals with the presentation of the findings and the analysis of the
data collected. The sentence administered to the students show their levels of
understanding of the English auxiliaries. Below is the list of sentences administered to
these students on auxiliaries. They are required to circle the verbal element in this section
A:
1. Ballanda was deceived by the magician.
2. All the four boys are detained.
3. Hassan’s has been invited by the police.
4. She has been nominated for the award.
5. She has been promoted to the next level.
6. She has been cheated.
The students are also required to complete each of the following sentences with the
suitable option from the list given.
7. Ebere had ______ her work.
a) do (b) did (c) done (d) doing
8. If it rains, he ______ go to the farm.
a) will (b) would (c) would have to (d) went
9. I am not a lecturer, ________ I ?
A) aren’t
(b) aint (c) am I (d) do
10 For the past two hours, I_________ been going through this list without finding my
name.
a) have
(b) had (c) having (d) has
28
11. Ballanda was ___________ deceived by the magician.
a) being
(b) been (c) be
(d) beings
12. All the four boys _________ detained.
a) was being (b) is being (c) has being
(d) are being
13. Hassan’s _________ invited surprised everybody
a) being
(b) been (c) be
(d) not been
14. Having ________ nominated, he took everything for granted.
a) been
(b) being
(b) be
(d) beings
15. Our not having _________ promoted should not bother us.
a) being
(b) been (c) be
(d) beings
16. These boys shouted that they ______ been robbed.
a) have (b) had (c) has (d) having
17. The thieves ________ left before the police arrived.
a) has
(b) have (c) had (d) haven’t
18. He ___________ come if he knew the way.
a) will (b) will not
(c) would (d) ‘ll
19. The doctor prescribed that he ______ takes the drug after meal.
a) shall (b) should (c) will (d) could
20. The police________her by now, but from the way things are, they are not here.
a) will be
(b) can be (c) ought to be (d) dare to be
21. Jerome _________ seek favour in his youth.
a) is used (b) used to (c) uses to (d) using to
22. We know Ojo________ do the job if he was around.
a) can (b) can’t (c) could (d) could be able
23. Borake ______ not touch Betty.
a) dares (b) dare (c) daren’t (d) didn’t dare
29
24. Chioma ______ assisting her with the house chores.
a) is (b) were (c) will (b) may
25. The students that studied hard ________ pass the examination.
a) may (b) will (c) would (d) can
The major concern of this chapter is to analyze the results of the data collected.
The first set of questions administered to students in Section A is based on verbal element
while Section B is based on primary and modal auxiliaries. The twenty-five questions on
the use of auxiliaries were given to the selected population. The answers provided by the
students revealed that the students have little knowledge of auxiliary verbs and their
application. Again, it was discovered that they found it difficult to differentiate between
the past forms of the auxiliary verbs and their modal equivalent. They found difficult to
indicate the verbal element in the sentences in Section A. In Section B, many students
could not differentiate between the primary auxiliary been and being, has, had and have,
and their modal counterparts will and would, should, could etc.
4.1 The Analysis of Sentences
In the process of data collection, a lot of errors were discovered. There is wrong
manipulation of the English auxiliaries. The most important task in analyzing the
students’ written tests is to classify their test according to their performance in
percentages. Though this is not an easy task, the researcher has tried to record their
performance both in section A and B and according to their percentages.
In the course of the analysis, the errors were identified in the (268) two hundred
and sixty-eight written tests of the entire NDII students. The table for the errors is shown
below as it concerned the verbal element.
30
Number of
Percentage of Raw score
Percentages
Students
students
score
119
44.4%
0/6
0%
37
13.8%
1/6
16.67%
39
14.5%
2/6
33.33%
53
19.7%
3/6
50%
16
6 %
4/6
66.67%
4
1.5%
5/6
83.33%
268
100%
Out of the two hundred and sixty-eight students that were tested, none scored 6/6
in section A. However, 119 students representing 44.4% of the total students sampled
scored 0/6 which is 0%; 37 students representing 13.8% of the students scored 1/6 which
is equivalent to 16.67%. So also, 39 students representing 14.5 % of the respondents
scored 2/6 which represents 33.33%. Again, 53 students representing 19.7% of the
students sampled scored 3/6 which is 50%. 16 students representing 6% of the
respondents scored 4/6 which is 66.67%. 4 students representing 1.5% of the entire
students scored 5/6 which represents 83.33%
To get percentage of students
119 100
x
= 44.4%
268 1
37 100
x
= 13.8%
268 1
39 100
x
14.5%
268 1
And to get percentage score
53 100
x
= 19.7%
268
1
16 100
x
= 6%
268
1
4
100
x
= 1.5%
268
1
31
0 100
x
= 0%
6 1
1 100
x
= 16.6%
6
1
2 100
x
= 33.3%
6
1
3 100
x
= 50%
6
1
4 100
x
= 66.66%
6 1
5 100
x
= 83.33%
6 1
From the analysis made, it is observed that the majority of the students in NDII
find it difficult to indicate the verbal element in the sentences. The above errors, no doubt,
are verb-related errors. The second language user experiences this kind of problem
mainly because of his inadequate knowledge of the English verb. This handicap is partly
traceable to the complexities and irregularities which characterize the English verb. This
is why Uzoma (1986:21) was of the view that ‘the verb is the most difficult part of the
language for a second language user to manipulate.’
In Section B where the students were tested on primary and modal auxiliaries, it
was discovered that they display some confusion on the use of “been” and “being.”
“Been” is used for action that has already taken place. It usually co-occurs with has, have
and had while “being” co-occurs with am, is, are, was and were to produce the
progressive form. The progressive form expresses what the situation is or was at the time
of reference.
Again ‘be,’ ‘have’ and ‘do’ are classified as auxiliary verbs, while the verbs
‘could’, ‘should’, ‘would’, and ‘might’, are primary auxiliaries used as past forms of
‘can’, ‘shall’, ‘will’, and ‘may’. But from the analysis, it is observed that the students and
the second language learners usually find it difficult to differentiate between the past
forms of the auxiliary verbs and their modal counterparts.
In Section B, which is made of nineteen questions, the students’ performance in
the use of auxiliaries was very poor.
32
Number
students
of Percentage of Raw score
students
Percentage
score
4
1.4%
8/19
42.10%
5
1.8%
9/19
47.36%
14
5.2%
10/19
52.63%
14
5.2%
11/19
57.89%
31
11.5%
12/19
63.15%
52
19.4%
13/19
68.42%
44
16.4%
14/19
73.68%
43
16%
15/19
78.94%
34
12.6%
16/19
84.21%
21
7.8%
17/19
89.47%
5
1.8%
18/19
94.73%
1
3.7%
19/19
100%
268
100%
From the above table, 4 students representing 1.4% of the entire student scored
8/19 which is equivalents to 42.10%. 5 students representing 1.8% scored 9/19 which is
equivalent to 47.36%. However, 14 students representing 5.2% scored 10/19 which is
equivalent to 52.63%. 14 students representing 5.2% scored 11/19 which is equivalent to
57.89%. So also, 31 students representing 11.5% of the respondents scored 12/19 which
represents 63.15%. 52 students representing 19.4% of the students sampled scored 13/19
which is 68.42%. 44 students representing 16.4% scored 14/19 which is equivalent to
73.68%, 43 students representing 16% scored 15/19 which is equivalent to 78.94%. 34
students representing 12.6% scored 16/19 which is equivalent to 84.21%. 21 students
representing 7.8% scored 17/19 which is equivalent to 89.47%. 5 students representing
1.8% scored 18/19 which is equivalent to 94.73%, and only 1 student representing 3.7%
scored 19/19 which is equivalent to 100%.
This shows that the student have little knowledge of primary and modal auxiliaries
33
CHAPTER FIVE
DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSION
5.1 Discussion of Findings
In this chapter, the findings from the data are interpreted. The analysis of the
findings on the single word test given to students shows many errors arising from a lack
of knowledge of the verbal element and little knowledge of primary and modal
auxiliaries. The result of the data collected indicates that the auxiliaries are misused since
the students do not observe the syntactic difference between an auxiliary verb and a full
verb. Each has a different grammatical function within the sentence but the students do
not understand what is meant by verbal element as confirmed from the analysis where
119 students could not identify any verbal element in Section A.
On the other hand, the sentences in Section B were centered mainly on auxiliary
verbs. From the tests, it was observed that the students do not know when to use “been”
and “being,” “had,” “has,” and “have.”
In view of the circumstances, the second language learners or users usually find it
difficult to differentiate between the past forms of the auxiliary verbs and their modal
counterparts. This difficulty is evident in the confused manner the second language user
manipulates the modal auxiliary verbs and the past forms of the auxiliary verbs. The
common errors that occur in a second language learner’s or user’s writing or speech are
error of tense, error of subject-verb agreement, error of spelling and error of
pronunciation. This goes to support Eyisi (2003:11) “that accuracy in speech and writing
makes effective understanding a reality but defective punctuation, wrong spellings, poor
pronunciation and erroneous sentences or misuse of words can hinder communication.”
According to her, speaking and writing correctly in the English language with precision
34
and with self-consciousness are not only forms of good manners but are also considered a
wonderful assert to any Nigerian who acquires it. From the findings I observed that
students display confusion in the use of auxiliary verbs especially in the case of “being”
and “been.” That is why the auxiliary verbs were misused by the students and 75% of the
total population do not have the knowledge of what verbal elements are and that is why
also many of them identify the gerund that performs the work of the subject as a verbal
element. It is therefore observed from the findings that many students display confusion
in the use of the auxiliary verbs. The blind, no matter the circumstance, can never lead the
blind. It therefore implies that the teaching of the language at all levels of our educational
system should rest squarely on the experts who are knowledgeable in the use of English.
It is only a teacher who knows the complexities of the verbs and how they are
manipulated that would be able to teach them effectively. In the words of Oluikpe
(1979:47) that… “our students are poor in the English language because they have not (as
they themselves did) internalized the grammar of the language to the point of automacity”
The view of Oluikpe is important because at all levels of our educational system,
emphasis is not usually placed on the teaching of the English grammar. As a result, the
learners in some cases are confused when it comes to the intricacies of grammar
especially as it concerns the verb. The teachers of the English language should therefore
devote much time in teaching grammar. In doing, so, much attention should be paid to the
verb as most of the things taught in grammar revolve around it.
5.2 Conclusion
Having seen the level of competence of our students in manipulating the auxiliary
verbs and verbal element, the researcher draws some conclusions based on the findings.
The aberration in the use of English auxiliaries has led to a poor use of English. Not only
does the misuse of auxiliaries among the students of Federal Polytechnic, Oko bring
35
about ungrammaticality and technical deviations, it is also bereft of the intuitive sense of
linguistic appropriateness. All these lead to “stylistic dysfunction” in the use of English,
thereby making the effectiveness of communication weak.
Areas of major difficulty usually lie in the handling of English tenses, but the
grammar and lexis of one language often interfere with the other. Of all the verbs which
can occur in either the simple present tense or the progressive aspect, one of the most
common-and most difficult to master-is ‘have.’ “Have” presents peculiar difficulties, not
only because it may appear in several different tenses with different lexical meanings, but
because it occurs sometimes as a verb and sometimes as an operator. Even when it is
used as a verb, its structure is sometimes more like an operator. The students do not have
adequate knowledge of the English auxiliaries, which are the most difficult aspect of
grammar for a second language user. The students also find it very difficult to
differentiate between the past forms of the auxiliary verbs and their modal equivalent.
Another major problem of the verbs is the irregularity between nouns and verbs. The
learner finds it difficult to understand why a plural verb has no’s’ or ‘es’ marker while
singular verb has. Even when the learner is convinced to accept the situation, he is yet
thrown into another confusion when the sees the verb ‘have’ used as lexical verb with
‘has’ as its singular form instead of ‘haves’.
One factor that has glaringly militated against effective teaching of English as a
second language at all levels of our educational system is paucity of qualified English
language teaches. To overcome this problem, there is always the temptation to place the
responsibility of teaching English language on non-English specialist. This situation is
quite unhealthy because it does not give room for effective teaching of the language.
5.3 Suggestions
36
The results from the students showed that they do not have a good knowledge of
English grammar especially as it concerns the English auxiliaries. English grammar
affects communication when it is not properly and effectively handled and when there is
no mastery of the structures of grammar.
Students who are the main target of this study should involve themselves in
problem solving and reflection exercises in writing. They ought to subject themselves to
frequent linguistic tests in English grammar especially in the English auxiliary verbs.
Also, they should refresh their knowledge of English by listening and paying attention to
the BBC and by reading “hand literature.” Such linguistic exposures will help them know
the correct forms of the language. For an English learner to attain proficiency, he must
take pains in studying the language.
It is also pertinent to state that the use of the English dictionary direction is very
helpful. The dictionary is an essential tool for study and is the best company any student
can keep (Osakwe and Ihekweazu, 1996:1). But unfortunately, dictionary-work is a
neglected area in second-language teaching (David Williams, 1990:115). The learners of
English as a second language should cultivate the habit of making effective use of the
dictionary as experts are of the opinion that a good English dictionary is the best teacher
of the English language. The learner should insist on learning verbs and their uses in
contexts rather than in isolation.
This study does not give final answer in the analysis of errors in students’ written
tests. Rather, it discusses only the problems of the English auxiliaries among the students
of Federal Polytechnic, Oko, using NDII students as the selected population. It is
therefore, recommended that such analysis should be done in primary, and secondary
schools as well as universities and polytechnics to find out whether the problems are
peculiar to NDII students.
37
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40
APPENDIX
Answers to the written Test
1. was deceived
2. are detained
3. been invited
4. been nominated
5. been promoted
6. been cheated
7. done
8. will
9. am
10. have
11. being
12. are being
13. being
14. been
15. been
16. had
17. had
18. would
19. should
20. ought to be
21. used to
22. could
23. dare
24. is
25. would