Factors Associated with Errors in English Simple-Sentence Writing: A Case Study of Grade 12 Students at Nampula Secondary School

Chibalonza Mpenda

doi:doi:10.11648/j.scif.20260205.15

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Factors Associated with Errors in English Simple-Sentence Writing: A Case Study of Grade 12 Students at Nampula Secondary School

Chibalonza Mpenda^*

Published in Science Futures (Volume 2, Issue 5)

Received: 4 September 2026 Accepted: 15 September 2026 Published: 29 September 2026

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Abstract

This article derives from a monograph that investigated the factors affecting the incorrect writing of simple sentence structures by 12th-grade day-shift students at Nampula Secondary School. The overall aim was to identify the factors that lead students to write simple sentences incorrectly in English. Eighty-seven subjects took part in this descriptive, single-site study, namely 85 students (45 male and 40 female) from four 12th-grade classes and 2 English teachers. A pragmatic paradigm and a mixed-methods approach were adopted, using a written test, semi-structured interviews and lesson observation as data-collection instruments. Performance on the written test was weak and declined with structural complexity: 42.4% of students produced correct declarative sentences, versus 24.7% for negative declaratives, 20.0% for interrogatives and 10.6% for negative interrogatives. Interviews and classroom observation indicated infrequent explicit teaching of simple-sentence structure (5.5% of coded intervals) relative to unsystematic error correction (55.5%). These patterns are associated with, and are interpreted here in relation to, limited grammatical instruction, limited exposure to English outside the classroom, and low reported motivation, in a context where teachers reported not addressing the topic systematically despite its inclusion in the 12th-grade syllabus. Because the design is descriptive and confined to a single school, these associations should not be read as established causes. Controlled and free-practice activities for teaching simple-sentence structure are proposed, together with greater student exposure to English inside and outside the classroom and continuous teacher training, as directions warranting further, more rigorous research.

Published in	Science Futures (Volume 2, Issue 5)
DOI	10.11648/j.scif.20260205.15
Page(s)	284-291
Creative Commons	This is an Open Access article, distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted use, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, provided the original work is properly cited.
Copyright	Copyright © The Author(s), 2026. Published by Science Publishing Group

Keywords

Simple Sentence Structure, Factors, Incorrect Writing, English Language Teaching, Mozambique

References

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Mpenda, C. (2026). Factors Associated with Errors in English Simple-Sentence Writing: A Case Study of Grade 12 Students at Nampula Secondary School. Science Futures, 2(5), 284-291. https://doi.org/10.11648/j.scif.20260205.15

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Mpenda, C. Factors Associated with Errors in English Simple-Sentence Writing: A Case Study of Grade 12 Students at Nampula Secondary School. Sci. Futures 2026, 2(5), 284-291. doi: 10.11648/j.scif.20260205.15

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AMA Style

Mpenda C. Factors Associated with Errors in English Simple-Sentence Writing: A Case Study of Grade 12 Students at Nampula Secondary School. Sci Futures. 2026;2(5):284-291. doi: 10.11648/j.scif.20260205.15

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@article{10.11648/j.scif.20260205.15,
  author = {Chibalonza Mpenda},
  title = {Factors Associated with Errors in English Simple-Sentence Writing: A Case Study of Grade 12 Students at Nampula Secondary School},
  journal = {Science Futures},
  volume = {2},
  number = {5},
  pages = {284-291},
  doi = {10.11648/j.scif.20260205.15},
  url = {https://doi.org/10.11648/j.scif.20260205.15},
  eprint = {https://article.sciencepublishinggroup.com/pdf/10.11648.j.scif.20260205.15},
  abstract = {This article derives from a monograph that investigated the factors affecting the incorrect writing of simple sentence structures by 12th-grade day-shift students at Nampula Secondary School. The overall aim was to identify the factors that lead students to write simple sentences incorrectly in English. Eighty-seven subjects took part in this descriptive, single-site study, namely 85 students (45 male and 40 female) from four 12th-grade classes and 2 English teachers. A pragmatic paradigm and a mixed-methods approach were adopted, using a written test, semi-structured interviews and lesson observation as data-collection instruments. Performance on the written test was weak and declined with structural complexity: 42.4% of students produced correct declarative sentences, versus 24.7% for negative declaratives, 20.0% for interrogatives and 10.6% for negative interrogatives. Interviews and classroom observation indicated infrequent explicit teaching of simple-sentence structure (5.5% of coded intervals) relative to unsystematic error correction (55.5%). These patterns are associated with, and are interpreted here in relation to, limited grammatical instruction, limited exposure to English outside the classroom, and low reported motivation, in a context where teachers reported not addressing the topic systematically despite its inclusion in the 12th-grade syllabus. Because the design is descriptive and confined to a single school, these associations should not be read as established causes. Controlled and free-practice activities for teaching simple-sentence structure are proposed, together with greater student exposure to English inside and outside the classroom and continuous teacher training, as directions warranting further, more rigorous research.},
 year = {2026}
}

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TY  - JOUR
T1  - Factors Associated with Errors in English Simple-Sentence Writing: A Case Study of Grade 12 Students at Nampula Secondary School
AU  - Chibalonza Mpenda
Y1  - 2026/09/29
PY  - 2026
N1  - https://doi.org/10.11648/j.scif.20260205.15
DO  - 10.11648/j.scif.20260205.15
T2  - Science Futures
JF  - Science Futures
JO  - Science Futures
SP  - 284
EP  - 291
PB  - Science Publishing Group
SN  - 3070-6289
UR  - https://doi.org/10.11648/j.scif.20260205.15
AB  - This article derives from a monograph that investigated the factors affecting the incorrect writing of simple sentence structures by 12th-grade day-shift students at Nampula Secondary School. The overall aim was to identify the factors that lead students to write simple sentences incorrectly in English. Eighty-seven subjects took part in this descriptive, single-site study, namely 85 students (45 male and 40 female) from four 12th-grade classes and 2 English teachers. A pragmatic paradigm and a mixed-methods approach were adopted, using a written test, semi-structured interviews and lesson observation as data-collection instruments. Performance on the written test was weak and declined with structural complexity: 42.4% of students produced correct declarative sentences, versus 24.7% for negative declaratives, 20.0% for interrogatives and 10.6% for negative interrogatives. Interviews and classroom observation indicated infrequent explicit teaching of simple-sentence structure (5.5% of coded intervals) relative to unsystematic error correction (55.5%). These patterns are associated with, and are interpreted here in relation to, limited grammatical instruction, limited exposure to English outside the classroom, and low reported motivation, in a context where teachers reported not addressing the topic systematically despite its inclusion in the 12th-grade syllabus. Because the design is descriptive and confined to a single school, these associations should not be read as established causes. Controlled and free-practice activities for teaching simple-sentence structure are proposed, together with greater student exposure to English inside and outside the classroom and continuous teacher training, as directions warranting further, more rigorous research.
VL  - 2
IS  - 5
ER  -

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Author Information

Chibalonza Mpenda

Project Management, Universidad Internacional Iberoamericana, Campeche, Mexico

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http://orcid.org/0009-0001-3571-6186

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Mpenda, C. (2026). Factors Associated with Errors in English Simple-Sentence Writing: A Case Study of Grade 12 Students at Nampula Secondary School. Science Futures, 2(5), 284-291. https://doi.org/10.11648/j.scif.20260205.15

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ACS Style

Mpenda, C. Factors Associated with Errors in English Simple-Sentence Writing: A Case Study of Grade 12 Students at Nampula Secondary School. Sci. Futures 2026, 2(5), 284-291. doi: 10.11648/j.scif.20260205.15

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AMA Style

Mpenda C. Factors Associated with Errors in English Simple-Sentence Writing: A Case Study of Grade 12 Students at Nampula Secondary School. Sci Futures. 2026;2(5):284-291. doi: 10.11648/j.scif.20260205.15

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@article{10.11648/j.scif.20260205.15,
  author = {Chibalonza Mpenda},
  title = {Factors Associated with Errors in English Simple-Sentence Writing: A Case Study of Grade 12 Students at Nampula Secondary School},
  journal = {Science Futures},
  volume = {2},
  number = {5},
  pages = {284-291},
  doi = {10.11648/j.scif.20260205.15},
  url = {https://doi.org/10.11648/j.scif.20260205.15},
  eprint = {https://article.sciencepublishinggroup.com/pdf/10.11648.j.scif.20260205.15},
  abstract = {This article derives from a monograph that investigated the factors affecting the incorrect writing of simple sentence structures by 12th-grade day-shift students at Nampula Secondary School. The overall aim was to identify the factors that lead students to write simple sentences incorrectly in English. Eighty-seven subjects took part in this descriptive, single-site study, namely 85 students (45 male and 40 female) from four 12th-grade classes and 2 English teachers. A pragmatic paradigm and a mixed-methods approach were adopted, using a written test, semi-structured interviews and lesson observation as data-collection instruments. Performance on the written test was weak and declined with structural complexity: 42.4% of students produced correct declarative sentences, versus 24.7% for negative declaratives, 20.0% for interrogatives and 10.6% for negative interrogatives. Interviews and classroom observation indicated infrequent explicit teaching of simple-sentence structure (5.5% of coded intervals) relative to unsystematic error correction (55.5%). These patterns are associated with, and are interpreted here in relation to, limited grammatical instruction, limited exposure to English outside the classroom, and low reported motivation, in a context where teachers reported not addressing the topic systematically despite its inclusion in the 12th-grade syllabus. Because the design is descriptive and confined to a single school, these associations should not be read as established causes. Controlled and free-practice activities for teaching simple-sentence structure are proposed, together with greater student exposure to English inside and outside the classroom and continuous teacher training, as directions warranting further, more rigorous research.},
 year = {2026}
}

Copy | Download

TY  - JOUR
T1  - Factors Associated with Errors in English Simple-Sentence Writing: A Case Study of Grade 12 Students at Nampula Secondary School
AU  - Chibalonza Mpenda
Y1  - 2026/09/29
PY  - 2026
N1  - https://doi.org/10.11648/j.scif.20260205.15
DO  - 10.11648/j.scif.20260205.15
T2  - Science Futures
JF  - Science Futures
JO  - Science Futures
SP  - 284
EP  - 291
PB  - Science Publishing Group
SN  - 3070-6289
UR  - https://doi.org/10.11648/j.scif.20260205.15
AB  - This article derives from a monograph that investigated the factors affecting the incorrect writing of simple sentence structures by 12th-grade day-shift students at Nampula Secondary School. The overall aim was to identify the factors that lead students to write simple sentences incorrectly in English. Eighty-seven subjects took part in this descriptive, single-site study, namely 85 students (45 male and 40 female) from four 12th-grade classes and 2 English teachers. A pragmatic paradigm and a mixed-methods approach were adopted, using a written test, semi-structured interviews and lesson observation as data-collection instruments. Performance on the written test was weak and declined with structural complexity: 42.4% of students produced correct declarative sentences, versus 24.7% for negative declaratives, 20.0% for interrogatives and 10.6% for negative interrogatives. Interviews and classroom observation indicated infrequent explicit teaching of simple-sentence structure (5.5% of coded intervals) relative to unsystematic error correction (55.5%). These patterns are associated with, and are interpreted here in relation to, limited grammatical instruction, limited exposure to English outside the classroom, and low reported motivation, in a context where teachers reported not addressing the topic systematically despite its inclusion in the 12th-grade syllabus. Because the design is descriptive and confined to a single school, these associations should not be read as established causes. Controlled and free-practice activities for teaching simple-sentence structure are proposed, together with greater student exposure to English inside and outside the classroom and continuous teacher training, as directions warranting further, more rigorous research.
VL  - 2
IS  - 5
ER  -

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