Investigating the Difficulties Face by Secondary School Students in Using Prepositions in Alqabass Secondary School in Omdurman Locality

Abstract

This research aims to identify Sudanese secondary school problems in using prepositions in particular the prepositions of place and time (at, in, on, by) and to have close look to the real reasons that lead students to make errors when using the prepositions of place. The researcher directed a diagnostic test to third year secondary school students, So as to check students’ capabilities of using the prepositions (at, in, on, by,) with their different uses and meanings in English. The study sample consisted of fifty students chosen by applying the systematic random sampling. The researcher also used the descriptive method and the data were gathered via diagnostic preposition test which consisted of 12 items. Findings revealed that students have problems in using these prepositions. These problems come as a result of the interference of mother tongue (Arabic). The last chapter of this study recommends different strategies that can be used to reduce errors which are made by Sudanese secondary level students when trying to use English spatial preposition.