The challenges of using the present perfect tense in English writing by Iranian English learners

This research explores the challenges faced by foreign language learners when using the present perfect tense in appropriate contexts. Many learners struggle to construct sentences using the present perfect tense and often resort to using the past tense instead. The study involved thirty eleventh-grade students from a girls' school. Research instruments such as a test and a questionnaire were used. The test focused on identifying the difficulties faced by the students in using the present perfect tense, while the questionnaire aimed to gather the participants' opinions on grammar, verb tenses, and the present perfect tense. The test results revealed that ۱۶ participants scored between ۱ and ۵ marks, ۹ participants scored between ۶ and ۱۰ marks, and ۵ participants scored between ۱۱ and ۱۵ marks out of ۱۵. The questionnaire findings indicated that ۱۸ participants were disinterested in learning English, ۲۱ participants preferred learning grammar over other components such as reading, writing, and speaking, ۲۶ participants encountered difficulties in using tense appropriately, and ۲۷ participants faced challenges in forming and using the present perfect tense. The challenges associated with forming and using the present perfect tense can be attributed to several factors. These include a lack of understanding of basic grammatical rules, limited practice, insufficient knowledge of tense usage, and a lack of writing and speaking activities related to the present perfect tense in the classroom. The study also discovered that students' use of English grammatical structures is influenced by their native language. Additionally, the study found that teachers contribute to the issue by employing traditional grammar teaching methods that prioritize structure over function. The ability to form and use the present perfect tense can be improved by giving more emphasis on teaching the correct usage of the tense in practical situations. This can be achieved by providing a variety of reading, writing, and speaking exercises in the classroom.

کلیدواژه ها:

grammar ، English tenses ، present perfect tense ، challenges ، foreign language learners ، Appropriate