The prevalence of morphosyntactic features in simple sentence construction among FAL learners in English essay writing tasks

Mastering the construction of simple sentences is essential for effective communication in various contexts, including academic environments, narrative storytelling, and routine correspondence. Therefore, the primary objective of this study was to investigate the construction of simple sentences by Grade 10 learners of First Additional Language in a South African secondary school. A qualitative research design was employed for this analysis, utilising document analysis as the principal data collection method. The learners’ essay scripts were collected and analysed thematically to derive meaningful insights. The study comprised a sample of 15 Grade 10 First Additional Language learners from the Malamulele Northeast circuit. Stratified random sampling, in conjunction with purposive sampling, was employed to select this sample for the investigation. This research was grounded in the Communicative Competence Theory by Swain and Canale (1980). The findings indicated that Grade 10 First Additional Language learners in South Africa utilise various types of simple sentences, including (Subject + Verb), (Subject + Verb + Object), (Subject + Verb + Adjectival), (Subject + Verb + Complement), (Adverbial + Subject + Verb), (Subject + Verb + Object + Complement), and (Subject + Verb + Indirect Object + Direct Object). Furthermore, the analysis revealed that the participants predominantly did not employ extended simple sentences, characterised by double or triple structures in the subject, verb, and object positions. Additionally, the results indicated that some learners have difficulty constructing simple sentences. Understanding and applying the principles of sentence construction can enhance learners’ language skills and improve their overall linguistic proficiency. This study contributes to the existing literature by addressing the knowledge gap concerning students’ comprehension of morphosyntactic sentence patterns.