Abstract

Having a good command of the English language has become a priority for high achiever students in universities of science and technology where English is used as a medium of instruction. However, understanding the written texts of pre-engineering students tends to be a serious challenge for instructors and tutors as there are problems of language and conceptual clarity. Thus, this study analyzed the written errors of pre-engineering students made in writing an argumentative essay. Forty-five argumentative essays of forty-five students were analyzed and evaluated. The results indicated that the students largely made errors of spelling, word choice and sub/verb/agreement in their written essays. More grammar and lexical-based written exercises and a closer follow up of students’ writing exercises would be needed to enable pre-engineering students to develop their writing skills.

Key words: Error analysis, written proficiency and conceptual clarity.