70

A STUDY ON THE STUDENTS’ ABILITY IN USING

PREPOSITION OF DIRECTION
1) 2)
Herdi , Nelisa Andriana
1
Fakultas Keguruan Dan Ilmu Pendidikan-Universitas Lancang Kuning
Email: [email protected]
2
Fakultas Keguruan Dan Ilmu Pendidikan-Universitas Lancang Kuning
Email: [email protected]

Abstract: A few students might get confused which preposition could be properly used for
certain conditions. In other word, they might be failed to distinguish the used of each
preposition of direction appropriately because it has different application and meaning in
sentences. Based on the syllabus of structure-one course, the students were expected to
understand and to be able to use this kind of preposition correctly. Hence, the purpose of the
research was to find out the students’ ability in using preposition of direction at the first year
students of English Education Department, Faculty of Education and Teachers Training,
Lancang Kuning University Pekanbaru for Academic Year 2016/2017. Therefore, the
researcher conducted survey design to identify whether the students have understood this
subject or not. Finally, the result of the study showed that the average score of students’
ability in using prepositions of direction was 66.47. In conclusion, the students’ ability in
using preposition of direction was categorized into “fair” category.
Keywords: Ability and Preposition of Direction

1. INTRODUCTION the language devices that build up a

Grammar is useful in writing aspect sentence. In English this component is
because grammar helps in constructing a called a connective word or function word,
good sentence. Another reason is grammar and also part of speech. Preposition
makes the writing easily understood by the expresses a relation between two entities,
audiences. According to syllabus of one being that represented by the
English Education Department, Faculty of prepositional complement. The
Education and Teachers Training of prepositions are normally placed before
Lancang Kuning University Pekanbaru, noun or pronouns, but the position itself
especially in Structure-one subject, could change depend on their functions.
prepositions are one of subject matters Focusing on the research, the topic of
which must be learned by students, and discussion is taken from a micro linguistic
one of the prepositions is preposition of study (grammar) especially preposition
direction. In the syllabus, students are which is one of the important elements of
expected to understand and be able to the English sentences, in this case:
apply this kind of preposition. prepositions of direction. Prepositions of
Prepositions are words (at, in, on, direction indicate the location of a noun (a
near, with, without) used with nouns in person, place, or thing) in relation to
phrases providing information about time another noun. Prepositions precede a noun
(at five o’clock, in the morning), place (on or a pronoun and often accompany verbs
the table, near the window) and other of motion. This research covers the
connections (with a knife, without a prepositions to, toward, on, and in when
thought) involving actions and things they are used to express movement,
(Yule, 2006). Prepositions are quite short direction, or purpose. Other prepositions of
and significant looking, but they have very direction are created by adding to to the
important functions. Preposition is one of prepositions of location on or in (onto and
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into). In many cases, on or in can be used Baskaran (2005) says that the word
without to. Adding to to the preposition “grammar” in linguistic can be taken to
implies action, whereas on or in by mean the entire system of describing the
themselves imply position. structure of a language from its sounds
Based on the statement above, the system to its meaning system or just the
prepositions of direction have different organization (form) of words
application and meaning in sentences. (morphology) and arrangement of these
Thus, some students might get confused to words into sentences (syntax). It can be
differentiate among prepositions. Hence, concluded that grammar is an organized
the students were expected to understand pattern from words and arrange it into
and be able to apply the kinds of sentences that have meaning. Baskaran
prepositions of direction. That is why it is (2005) states there are four identifiable
very interesting to learn prepositions, kinds of grammar, theoretical grammar,
especially prepositions of direction in descriptive grammar, pedagogic grammar,
detail. These prepositions have different prescriptive grammar.
application and different meaning in Grammar itself is an important pattern
sentences. They are also found in various in English. The language structure in
word classes in sentences. Therefore, the English is coming from grammar.
researcher conducted survey design to Grammar is arranging the pattern from
identify whether the students have words until become a sentence. Grammar
understood this subject or not, in plays an important role to make sentence
accordance with the researcher’ understandable. Grammar constructions
assumptions on it, this research was make the structure become meaningful.
expected can give contribution to realise So, Grammar is a part of English that
students’ background knowledge, and then study about pattern and structure of a
increase their understanding of these sentence.
prepositions, in order to use those in a Sentence
sentence correctly. Seaton (2007) defines that a sentence
Overview of Grammar is a group of words expressing a complete
According to Thornburry (2000) thought. A sentence must have a subject
grammar is partly the study of what forms and a verb, but it may or may not have an
(or structures) are possible in a language. object. It means that sentence will not
This can be interpreting that grammar is complete without subject or verb. The
study that learn how to construct a form in sentence will be awkward and have
a possible language. This also means that meaning and not giving sense to the
grammar is important to make sentence reader.
have a meaning and understandable. The Hogue (2008: 10) states that a
construction or forms are helping to make sentence is a group of word contains at
a meaningful sentence. Grammar of a least one subject and one verb, and
language is a system of the predictable expresses a complete thought. It means
pattern; words fit together to form phrases; that, the sentence has both subject and
phrases join to form clause; clauses create verb. However, if it does not has a
sentences (Herdi, 2014). It shows that complete thought and give no sense to the
grammar is a study to recognize the reader, the sentence has still not been
system’s components of the words to be a completed yet. Hogue (2008: 20) claims
sentence. the students can develop their that there are four basic kinds of sentences
writing and speaking by knowing grammar in English: Simple sentences, compound
well. Hence, grammar is important for the sentences, complex sentences, and
learners to increase their writing and compound-complex sentences. According
speaking. to the experts above, we can conclude that
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those four basic skills of writing sentences usually noun, verb, and adjective. For
should be mastered by a writer to produce instances:
good and nice writing. Prepositions are words used with
Based on the definition above, nouns in phrases providing information
sentence usually expresses a complete about time, place and other connections
sentence thought and meaning consisting involving actions and things. (Yule, 2006).
of subject and verb. When writing a Prepositions of direction indicate the
sentence, we must be able to make sure location of a noun (a person, place, or
that the subject and the verb are agreed. thing) in relation to another noun.
Therefore, in a sentence, the subject and Prepositions precede a noun or a pronoun
the verb need each other in order to make a and often accompany verbs of motion.
sense. In conclusion, sentence is a goup of This handout covers the prepositions to,
words consisting of subject and verb toward, on, and in when they are used to
expresses a complete thought. express movement, direction, or purpose.
Prepositions 2. METHOD
Prepositions are words (at, in, on, This research implemented survey
near, with, without) used with nouns in design as a quantitative research. Creswell
phrases providing information about time (2012) explains that “survey research is
(at five o’clock, in the morning), place (on procedures in quantitative research in
the table, near the window) and other which investigators administer a survey to
connections (with a knife, without a a sample or to entire population of people
thought) involving actions and things. in order to describe the attitudes, opinions,
(Yule, 2006). An important element of behaviors, or characteristics of
English sentences is the prepositional population”.
phrase. A preposition signals that a noun Survey design has two kinds of these;
or a noun structure follow it: the the first is at one point in time (cross-
preposition + noun combination sectional), and the second is a study over
constitutes a preposition phrase (eg. He time (longitudinal). However, the
walked into the house). researcher will conduct “at one point in
Klammer (2000) states that time (cross sectional)”. Creswell (2012)
prepositions have a relating function: they states that cross-sectional design consists
establish relations between nominal units, of particular type that matches to this
mainly nouns and nominal groups, and research which is related to evaluation
other units in the surrounding discourse. program. Evaluation program is a survey
Prepositions may consist of the word that provides useful information to
(from), to words (because of) or three (in decision maker. In this study, the resercher
contact with ) and or accasionally four is going to find out the performance of the
(with the exception of). All are single students’ ability in constructing compound
prepositions. Prepositions are phrase sentence at the third year students of
connectors. They are followed by noun English Education Department, Faculty of
phrases, and relate he noun phrase to Education and Teachers training.
another word, or to the sentences as a Setting of the Research
whole. Direction is instructions that you This research had been conducted at
give to someone about how to find a the first year students of English Education
particular place. Finally, prepositions are Department, Faculty of Education and
reliable signal that a noun is coming. They Teachers Training, Lancang Kuning
occur before a noun phrase, which has the University for Academic year 2016/2017.
function of connecting a noun or a The university is located at Jl. Yos
pronoun to another word. The words are Sudarso KM. 8, Rumbai Regency,
Pekanbaru, Riau.
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Population Technique of Collecting the Data

The population was the subject of the In order to find out how students’
research. In this study, the population was ability, a test was used to collect the data.
the first year students of English Education A test is a task or set of task that elicits
Department, Faculty of Education and observable behavior from the test taker.
Teachers Training, Lancang Kuning The students were instructed to answer 25
University for Academic year 2016/2017 given questions which were divided into
consisting of three classes; Class A two parts of question direction. The
consists of 28 students, class B consists of questions used in this study were requiring
27 students and class C consists of 30 students to fill in the blank or complete the
students. So that, the total of the sentences in form of paragraph (15
population was 85 students. questions) and in form of sentence in line
Sample (10 questions) including the usage of
Sample is the selected numbers of prepositions of direction choices. The
those representing the population of the students were then asked to collect the
research. Gay (2000) defines that sampling answer after testing time was in order. The
is the process of selecting a number of answers submitted by students were
individuals for a study in such a way that assessed by the researcher to score. The
they represent the larger group from which scores gained were analyzed by the
they are selected. In determining the researcher.
sample, the researcher conducted Technique of Analyzing the Data
probability sampling technique, it was To analyze the data, this present study
exactly purposive sampling. Subjects were used descriptive analysis. Firstly, the
handpicked by the researcher on the basis researcher analysed the central tendency.
of his or her own estimate of their This is about the contribution of the score
typicality. In this case, the researcher based on their character of statistic
determined to choose class A and B as the namely: mean, mode, and median. They
sample of this research after considering to are defined as an average score (mean), the
the treatment that given by the lecturer set of score (median), or the most
while lecturing the course. The researcher frequently occuring score (mode). A mean
was sure that class A and B had the same is the total of the scores is diveded by the
treatment in learning Structure-one numbers of scores (sample).
particularly about prepositions because To calculate the mean, the researcher
they belong to the Regular Class which sumed up the total of scores and then
was taught by the same lecturer in the diveded by number of students. The
same day. median is a middle score which is gotten
Instrument of the Research by seeing the middle score. The mode is
To identify the students’ ability in the number (score) appears most
using prepositions of direction, the frequently in a list of scores.
instrument used was test. Test is the FINDINGS
instrument in quantitative research to open The researcher conducted the test to
the research question in this research. Test collect the data. There were 55 number of
was used when the researcher works on the students as the samples in this research,
inquiry of numbers using statistics in they had been tested at the first year
analyzing the obtained data. This students of English Education Department,
instrument had been used by the researcher Faculty of Education and Teachers
to gain the data and identify the percentage Training, Lancang Kuning University. The
and level of students’ ability. test was implemented to get the answer of
the research question: to find out students’
ability in using preposition of direction. In
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 74

order to find it, the students were directed ability in using prepositions of direction
to answer by filling the gaps in the could be seen in the following table.
questions by using prepositions of directio The Result of Descriptive Statistics
in, on, to, into, onto, and toward. There using SPSS
were 10 questions in part A and 15 Statistics
questions in part B of the test, there were
N Valid 55
totally 25 questions conducted in this
research. Missing 0
After giving the test, the Mean 66.47
researcher calculated the scores of students
Std. Error of Mean 1.656
from individual correct answer. Each
number was given score 4, and they got Median 68.00
100 for them who answered the question
Mode 72
correctly at all numbers based on the
direction of the test. Furthermore, the Std. Deviation 12.280
researcher used spss to get the result of
descriptive statistics that could be seen in Variance 150.809
the following diagram (histogram). Range 56
Frequency of Students’ Ability in Using
Minimum 32
Prepositions of direction
Maximum 88
Sum 3656

Based on the calculation above, it

could be known the ability of the students
in using prepositions of direction. The
table 4.2 above presents the average score
of 55 respondents in which the mean is
66.47. Furthermore, by calculating and
checking on students’ scores, it was gotten
that the mode of students’ scores was 72. It
means that this score is genarally more
often obtained by the students in
answering the test . The median is 68. It
means that from all score gained by
students, it is in the middle of the range.
Meanwhile, the range between the highest
Based on the histogram above, it can score and the lowest score is 56 in which
be seen clearly about the comparison of the minimum score is 32 and the
entire score to another score. From the maximum score is 88. It concludes that the
diagram, the highest frequency is in 72 students ability in using prepositions of
score in which there are fifteen students direction among students in class A and B
who got score 72. Otherwise, the most less are different. The standard deviation is
score is in score 32 and 76 in which there 12.280 and the variance is 150.809.
is only one student got those score. Finally, the data above is valid.
Furthermore, the researcher presents the Furthermore, the researcher presented
result of students’ performance after the result of students’ performance after
collecting and analyzing the data in form collecting and analyzing the data in form
of a table of percentage. The students’ of a table of percentage. The students’
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ability in using prepositions of direction The percentage of the students’ ability

could be seen in the following table. in using prepositions of direction
The percentage of clasification
of the students’ ability 40 34.55%
in using preposition of direction
35
29.09%
No. Scoring Grading Level Frequency Percentage 30
1 80-100 A Very 10 18.18%
25
good 18.18%
2 70-79 B Good 16 29.09% 20
3 60-69 C Fair 19 34.55% 15 9.09% 9.09%

4 50-59 D Poor 5 9.09% 10

5 <49 E Bad 5 9.09% 5
Total 55 100%
0
Very good Good Fair Poor Bad
Based on the table above, the
Regarding to the diagram of
students’ ability in using prepositions of
percentage of students ability in using
direction could be explained that there
prepositions of direction above, it could be
were ten students who can be categorized
interpreted clearly the percentage of
into “very good” level because they got
comparison among all categories. From
score in the inteval 80 to 100, it was about
55 students at the first year of English
18.18% of the total samples. Sixteen
Department, Faculty of Education and
students or 29.09% were categorized into
Teacher Training, Lancang Kuning
“good” because of getting good score.
University, there are 34.55% categorized
Moreover, nineteen students got score in
into “fair” as the biggest number of
range 60 to 69; Therefore, they were
students’ level. It is followed by students
categorized into “fair” with grading “C”.
who can be categorized into “good” with
However, for students grading “D” and
29.09% of total students as the second
“E” have the same percentage, however,
higher percentage. Furthermore, for
they were the less percentage in using
students who got score categorized into
prepositions of direction; there were five
“very good”, it is only about 18.18% of
students who got score under 50 to 59 with
total number of students. Meanwhile the
the percentage 9.09% and also five
lowest percentage is in “poor and bad“
students who got score under 49 with the
level which have the same percentage, it is
percentage 9.09% from the total samples
9.09%. Finally we could see the level of
in this research.
the students ability in using prepositions of
Related to the mean of students’
direction in the class A and B regular class
scores 66.47, and dealing on the
students at the first year of English
percentage of classification of the
education department of lancang kuning
students’ ability in using prepositions of
university.
direction, in can be described that there
Based on the analysis of the test, it is
were more than a half number of students
found that the misuses of prepositions of
who were categorized into “fair, poor, and
direction often occur in the test. The most
bad”.
common mistakes found are about the use
To explain and describe more clearly
of in, on, to in which in indicates
about the percentage of students’ ability in
completely or partly enclosed by
using prepositions of direction. It would be
something, on indicates the basis for
presented on the following diagram.
something, and to indicates in a direction.

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 76

It seems that a few students do not know Onto (On + To) is used to express
very well about the rules of these three movement toward the outside of an object.
prepositions. Based on the result of the Into (In + To) indicates movement toward
test, identified several examples: the inside of an object, space, or volume. It
3. FINDINGS AND DISCUSSION seems they do not know which preposition
The first all the students would work in could be properly used for certain
a collaborative environment. conditions.
Details: The students would be surrounded Refers to the aim of survey design
by a collaborative atmosphere. research, the finding of this research had
However, there were few students who purpose to give information, reflection, or
used other prepositions which were not input to the structure-one lecturer such as
appropriate to complete the sentence. evaluation in teaching grammar structure
Secondly They need to concentrate on especially in using prepositions of
their studies. direction according to the syllabus
Details: The studies are the basis for their indicator of English Education
concentration. Department, FKIP, Lancang Kuning
But some students completed the sentence University Pekanbaru. The findings of this
using preposition except on. Based on the research are hoped to be an input or
test conducted in the research, the correct reflection to increase the students’
answer must be the bold-underlined-italic achievement in learning English,
prepostions stated above. especially in using prepositions in term of
In accordance with the previous studies using prepositions of direction: in, on, to,
related to this research, then, after doing into, onto, and toward.
the study, it was also found that a few of 4. CONCLUSION
the students failed to use correct Based on the research finding
preposition. In other words, they used presented in the previous chapter, it can be
wrong prepositions. It means that most of concluded that students’ ability of most of
them had bad ability in using prepositions the first year students of English Education
especially prepositions of direction. The Department, Faculty of Education and
research finding shows that misuse Teachers Training, Lancang Kuning
between in, on, and to occur in the University are categorized into “fair” in
students’ answer that indicates that they using prepositions of direction. From the
had lack of knowledge about using result of the test, the average score of
prepositions. However, there were some students’ ability in using prepositions of
students who can use preposition in the direction is 66.47. From 55 students, there
test given which means that they had good are 18.18% categorized into “very good”,
ability to determine what preposition 29.09% are categorized into “good”,
should be used in certain condition 34.55%. categorized into “fair”, 9.09%
appropriately. In other word, they failed to categorized into “poor”, and 9.09% are
ditinguish the use of each prepositions. categorized into “bad” category.
Moreover, the median is 68, the mode is
Furthermore, based on the analysis on 72, and the range is 56 with the minimum
the students answer, it was found some score is 32 and the maximum score is 88.
cases in using prepositions especially SUGGESTION
toward, into, and onto. Toward, like to, Regarding the result and the conclusions
suggests movement. However, toward of the study, the researcher would like to
indicates movement in the direction of a give some suggestions as follows:
general area rather than a specific 1. The first semester students should
destination. Toward implies that the review the lesson and apply it to daily
destination may not have been reached. activities, so the students will be able
ELT- Lectura: Jurnal Pendidikan, Vol 4, No 2, Agustus 2017
 77

to use correct grammar in daily

activities, especially prepositions of Seaton, Anne. 2007. Basic English
direction. The students should learn Grammar for English Language
more about grammar and the different Learner. New York.
usage of each kind of prepositions, so SaddlebackEducational Publishing.
the students will have deep
understanding in English grammar. Thornbury, Scott.2000. How to Teach
2. In teaching structure, the lecturer Grammar. England: Pearson ESL.
should consider the understanding of
the lesson to the students. There are Yule, G. 2006. The Study of Language
still some weaknesses in using (Third Edition). New York:
prepositions of direction. Cambridge University Press.
3. The researcher hopes that all findings,
conclusions, suggestions of this study
could give a valuable contributions for
both lecturers and students, especially
the students of English Education
Department, Faculty of Education and
Teacher Training, Lancang Kuning
University Pekanbaru.

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Education, Inc.

Hedge, T. 2000. Teaching and Learning in

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Newyork: Oxford University Press.

Herdi, H. (2014). The Abilities in

Applying Verb Tenses in Writing
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Houge, A. 2008. First Steps in Academic

Writing. Second Edition. New
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Klammer, Thomas L. 2000. Analyzing

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