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.