1。2 Significance of the Research

Writing is regarded as one of the most difficult parts in English teaching and learning。 Both teachers and students are bothered by it。 But it is also significant to write a good composition and get a high score, which can help students pass the high school enrollment examination。 The New English Curriculum Standards, which is served as an explicit guidance in teaching, requires students to reach at fifth level after graduation in junior high school。 As to writing aspect, students are required to master the skills to prepare the materials for composition, write simple messages with the help of teachers, simply describe people or some particular events, and describe the information given by diagram or table。 So the study on errors analysis in students’ writings is very necessary。 It can not only help students realize their shortages in writing and enhance their writing skills, but also help teachers to improve their teaching methods。

1。3 Purpose of the Research

Junior high school is a main stage for students to improve their English writing ability, but as I mentioned before, Chinese students are not good enough in writing for various reasons。 This paper aims to find out the major problems in junior high school writing and enhance their capability of writing on the basis of Error Analysis Theory。 By collecting errors students made in their writings, the author tends to analyze the types and sources of the errors, and give some enlightenment to both teachers and students。

This paper is going to answer the following questions:

(1) What are the error types that appear frequently in junior high school English writing?

(2) What are the sources of these errors in English writing?

(3) What are the implications for English teaching and learning?

1。4 Structure of the Research

This paper consists of five chapters in all。 A brief introduction of this paper is given in Chapter one, including background, the significance, the purpose of the research as well as the research structure。 Chapter two introduces the literature review, giving the definitions and classifications of errors and related studies on Error Analysis Theory。 Chapter three presents the research design, which includes research question, data resources and research method。 Chapter four shows the results of the study and analyzes the sources of the errors。 Chapter five summarizes the major findings and shows some implications for both teachers and students and lists the limitations of this paper and gives prospection for further researches。

2。 Literature Review

Error Analysis is a type of linguistic analysis that focuses on the errors that learners make。 It consists of a comparison between the errors made in the target language and that target language itself。 Error analysis emphasizes the significance of learners’ errors in second language, and it is beneficial to both teachers and students。

2。1 The Definition of Error and Mistake

When it comes to error, we must make a distinction between error and mistake。 In the process of second language acquisition, learners tend to deviate from or go against the target language system, which usually arises from learners’ inabilities to express in correct language。 Learners cannot correct it by themselves。 This is error。 Mistake often refers to the problem of one’s performance。 It occurs not because of the lack of language knowledge but the performance at that moment。 From this point of view, anyone, whether native speakers or not, will make such a mistake。 文献综述

The study of error has lasted for a long time, and many linguists give varieties of definitions of error。

Pit Corder (1967) points out that an error is learners’ systematic deviation that occurs in the process of language learning。 He regards error as the problem of competence。 In addition, he thinks that the occurrence of error is deviation from language rules because they do not master the language rules completely and result in their deviating from target language standard。 Errors are characteristically systematic and mistakes are unsystematic。 However, mistakes are inevitable, both native speakers and second language learners make mistakes in various kinds of situations。