Analyzing the Academic English Writing Errors of EFL Undergraduate Students in Terms of Grammatical Accuracy and Consistency in Three Sudanese Universities

Abstract

This study aimed at investigating the academic writing errors of the Sudanese EFL undergraduate students in terms of grammatical accuracy, logical organization, and consistency. The study hypothesized that Sudanese university students who study English as a foreign language commit many errors in their writing in terms of grammar, logical organization, and consistency. The study adopted the descriptive-analytic method. The sample investigated was selected from three groups of students studying English as a major subject during 2019/2020. The number of 173 subjects who constituted the sample of the study were drawn from three universities. The data was collected through two tools - the writing test and the questionnaire. The results showed a significant percentage such as grammatical errors in spelling (26%), Subject/Verb Agreement (18%), Singular/Plural Form (13%), articles (10%), missing word (8%), and verb form, capitalization, and misused word (5%). According to the textual organization, a percentage of 96.1% failed to provide a topic sentence, 97.8% could not write central ideas. Moreover, the absence of supporting evidence was 94.9%, besides the inability to conclude was of 96.3% percentage. Besides a percentage of 86.1% made inconsistent paragraphs, had 90.5% showed a random shift of ideas, and 96.3% had an unclear conclusion. 75% of the questionnaire respondents agreed that the introduction, the topic sentence, and the conclusion are crucial parts that most EFL students should be aware of. Finally, the results indicated that 97% could not produce relevant sentences and transitional phrases. The study recommended that institutions of learning and instructors be aware of EFL learners' actual level by using a placement test and interviews in advance. Academic writing activities should be considered, and different writing techniques should be emphasized to clarify the meaning and accuracy of the structure.