Analysis of Inflectional Morpheme Use in the Written Compositions of Pre-Service Teachers

Abstract

This study examined the use of English inflectional morphemes in the short-written compositions of 26 first-year Bachelor of Technology and Livelihood Education (BTLED) from a university in Caraga during the academic year 2025-2026. Specifically, it analyzed the types and frequencies of inflectional morpheme errors involving plural (-s/-es), past tense (-ed), progressive (-ing), and possessive (-’s), and classified them based on the Surface Strategy Taxonomy of Dulay, Burt, and Krashen (1982). The study employed a descriptive quantitative error analysis design supported by qualitative interpretations. The unit of analysis consisted of 26 reflective written compositions produced during an extemporaneous speech  activity. Errors were identified and classified using the Surface Strategy Taxonomy, while frequency counts and percentage distributions were used to analyze the data. The most frequent errors involved past tense inflectional morphemes, followed by plural, progressive, and possessive. The most dominant type of error was misformation, indicating that learners found it challenging to select and apply correct grammatical forms, and further suggesting that L1 transfer, overgeneralization of grammatical rules, and limited morphological awareness may have contributed to such difficulties. The study recommends strengthening explicit morphological instruction and focused writing activities.