The Use of Conjunctions in Descriptive Writing by EFL (English as a Foreign Language) Students: A Corpus-Based Approach

This research aims to analyze the use of conjunctions in descriptive writing by eleventh grade EFL students at SMA Muhammadiyah 10 Surabaya. A mixed-method approach was used, combining quantitative analysis through corpus tools using LancsBox and qualitative interpretation of students’ texts. The study focused on identifying the types, frequency, and accuracy of conjunctions, based on Halliday and Hasan’s (1976) classification: additive, adversative, causal, and temporal. The results showed that students mostly used simple, single-word conjunctions such as and, but, and because. Additive conjunctions were the most frequently used, while temporal conjunctions were the most varied. In contrast, adversative and causal conjunctions were used the least. These findings suggest that students are still relying on basic and familiar connectors and rarely explore more complex forms. Furthermore, all conjunctions found were in simple form, and no multi- word or complex conjunctions were used. Most of the students’ writing consisted of simple and compound sentences, with the word and appearing as the dominant connector. This shows that their writing structure is still at a basic level. They often describe ideas using sequential patterns rather than expressing contrast or cause-effect relationships. The findings indicate that while students are capable of using conjunctions to build cohesion, they need more practice and instruction to develop variety and complexity in their writing. This study highlights the need for improved teaching strategies, including exposure to model texts and the use of corpus-based tools, to support students in enhancing their cohesive writing skills more effectively.

=====================================================================================================

Penelitian ini bertujuan untuk menganalisis penggunaan konjungsi dalam menulis deskriptif oleh siswa EFL kelas sebelas di SMA Muhammadiyah 10 Surabaya. Pendekatan metode campuran yang digunakan, meliputi analisis kuantitatif melalui alat korpus menggunakan LancsBox dan interpretasi kualitatif terhadap teks siswa. Penelitian ini fokus pada identifikasi jenis, frekuensi, dan akurasi penggunaan konjungsi berdasarkan klasifikasi Halliday dan Hasan (1976): aditif, adversatif, kausal, dan temporal. Hasil penelitian menunjukkan bahwa siswa sebagian besar menggunakan konjungsi sederhana berupa kata tunggal seperti dan, tetapi, dan karena . Konjungsi aditif paling sering digunakan, sedangkan konjungsi adversatif dan kausal paling jarang, sementara konjungsi temporal menunjukkan variasi yang lebih banyak. Semua konjungsi yang ditemukan berbentuk sederhana, dan tidak ada konjungsi kompleks atau multi-kata yang digunakan. Sebagian besar tulisan siswa terdiri dari kalimat sederhana dan majemuk, dengan dan sebagai penghubung dominan. Hal ini menunjukkan bahwa struktur tulisan mereka masih berada pada tingkat dasar, dan siswa cenderung menyusun ide secara berurutan daripada mengungkapkan hubungan pertentangan atau sebab-akibat. Temuan ini menunjukkan bahwa meskipun siswa mampu menggunakan konjungsi untuk membangun kohesi, mereka memerlukan lebih banyak latihan dan bimbingan untuk mengembangkan variasi dan kompleksitas dalam tulisan. Penelitian ini menekankan pentingnya strategi pengajaran yang lebih efektif, termasuk paparan terhadap model teks dan penggunaan alat berbasis korpus, untuk mendukung peningkatan keterampilan menulis kohesif siswa.