The English Tenses Used In Speaking:Evidence From EFL Students In Aceh

ABSTRACT Name : Niswatul Maknunah Reg. No. : 200203021 Faculty : Fakultas Tarbiyah dan Keguruan Major : Departement of English Language Thesis working title : The English Tenses Used In Speaking:Evidence From EFL Students In Aceh Supervisor : Prof. Jarjani, S.Ag., M.Sc., Ph.D Keyword : Common problem, ungrammatical sentences, EFL student, speaking This research explores the challenges faced by Indonesian EFL students in using tenses while speaking English. Through a qualitative research design, data was collected via field research, including direct observations and interviews with 10 students. The study revealed that students predominantly used the simple present and simple past tenses, while the present continuous, future, and present perfect tenses were used less frequently and often incorrectly. The most common grammatical errors included confusion between the present perfect and simple past tenses, subject-verb agreement mistakes, and article usage errors. These issues were linked to limited tense and limited practice such as fear of making mistakes. The findings suggest that explicit grammar instruction and contextualized practice are essential for improving students' use of tenses, alongside efforts to reduce psychological barriers in language learning.