THE CORRELATION BETWEEN STUDENTS’ SIMPLE PRESENT TENSE MASTERY AND THEIR ABILITY IN WRITING DESCRIPTIVE TEXT AT THE FIRST SEMESTER OF THE EIGHTH GRADE OF SMPN 1 KARYA PENGGAWA PESISIR BARAT IN 2016/2017 ACADEMIC YEAR A Thesis Submitted as a Partial Fulfillment of The Requirement for S1-Degree By EVI FITRIA NPM. 1211040102 Study Program : English Education Advisor : Bambang Irfani, M. Pd Co-Advisor : Nunun Indrasari, M.Pd TARBIYAH AND TEACHER TRAINING FACULTY THE STATE INSTITUTE OF ISLAMIC STUDIES RADEN INTAN LAMPUNG 2016 ABSTRACT THE CORRELATION BETWEEN STUDENTS’ SIMPLE PRESENT TENSE MASTERY AND THEIR ABILITY IN WRITING DESCRIPTIVE TEXT AT THE FIRST SEMESTER OF THE EIGHTH GRADE OF SMPN 1 KARYA PENGGAWA PESISIR BARAT IN 2016/2017 ACADEMIC YEAR By: Evi Fitria In this research, the writer focused on the correlation between students’ simple present tense mastery and their ability in writing descriptive text. The objective of this research was to know whether there was a correlation between students’ simple present tense mastery and their ability in writing descriptive text at the first semester of the eighth grade of SMPN 1 Karya Penggawa Pesisir Barat in 2016/2017 academic year. There were two variables in this research, the independent variable, students’ simple present tense mastery (X) and dependent variable, students’ ability in writing descriptive text (Y). This is a correlation research. It is used to know the correlation between students’ simple present tense mastery and their ability in writing descriptive text. In taking the sample of the research, cluster random sampling was applied. The population of the research was taken from the students of eighth grade at SMPN 1 Karya Penggawa Pesisir Barat in 2016/2017 academic year. The sample of the research was taken 30 students from 121 population. In collecting the data of this research, the writer used objective test that were multiple choices consisted of 40 items test and writing descriptive text test. In this research, SPSS was used to compute Rank Spearmans’ formula. After doing the hypothetical testing, the result demonstrated that there was positive correlation between students’ simple present tense mastery and their ability in writing descriptive text. Based on the data analysis computed by using SPSS, it was obtained that Sig = 0,001 and α = 0.05. It means that H is accepted because Sig < α = 0.05. a Based on this research, it was suggested that to have a good ability in writing descriptive text, students should have a good mastery of simple present tense. ii DECLARATION Hereby, I state this thesis entitled “The Correlation between Students’ Simple Present Tense Mastery and their Ability in Writing Descriptive Text at the First Semester of the Eighth Grade of SMPN 1 Karya Penggawa Pesisir Barat in 2016/2017 Academic Year” is completely my own work, I am fully aware that I have quoted some statement and theories from various sources and they are properly acknowledged in the text. Bandar Lampung, 20 October 2016 Declared by, Evi Fitria NPM. 12110401012 v MOTTO “Say : Nun. By pen and what they inscribe, you are not [ O Muhammad ] by the favor of your lord a madman. And indeed for you is a reward uninterrupted. And indeed you are of a great moral character.”1 1 Ayatal-quran.net/2016/08/surah-al-qalam-the-cave-terjemah-bahasa-inggris, Retrieved on October 25th, 2016 vi DEDICATION I would like to dedicate this thesis for all my beloved people: 1. My beloved parents, Mr. Mat Halim and Mrs. Mursyidah who have already prayed and supported for my success, and advised me all the time. 2. My beloved brothers, Ilham Aripin, Rizki Sanjaya, and Pegi Ramadan who always motivate me to succeed. 3. My beloved Almamater IAIN Raden Intan Lampung. vii CURRICULUM VITAE The writer’s name is Evi Fitria. She was born in Way Sindi on September 15th, 1995. She is the first child of Mr. Mat Halim and Mrs. Mursyidah. She has three brothers. She lives at Jalan Lintas Bengkulu Kelurahan Way Sindi, Kecamatan Karya Penggawa, Pesisir Barat. The writer began her study in Elementary School at SDN 1 Way Sindi Pesisir Barat in 2000 and graduated in 2006. She continued her study in Junior High School at SMPN 1 Karya Penggawa Pesisir Barat and Graduated in 2009. After that, she continued her study to MAN 1 Krui Pesisir Barat and graduated in 2012. After finishing her study in MAN, she decided to study in English Education Program of Tarbiyah and Teacher Training Faculty of State Institute of Islamic Studies Raden Intan Lampung. viii ACKNOWLEDGEMENT First of all, all praise be to Allah, the most merciful, the most beneficent, for His blessing and mercy given to the writer during her study and in completing this final project. Then, the best wishes and salutation be upon the great messenger prophet Muhammad S.A.W This thesis presented to the English Education study program of IAIN Raden Intan Lampung. The primary aim of writng this thesis is to fulfill a part of students’ task in partial fulfillment of the requirement to obtain S1-degree. For that reason, the writer would like to thank the following people for their ideas, time and guidance for this thesis: 1. Dr. H. Chairul Anwar, M.Pd, the Dean of Faculty of Tarbiyah and Teacher Training and his staff who have given and opportunity and the help for the writer when on going the study until the accomplishment of this thesis. 2. Meisuri, M.Pd, the Chairwoman of English Education Study Program of IAIN Raden Intan Lampung who has given help to complete this thesis. 3. Bambang Irfani, M.Pd, the advisor who patiently guided the writer until the completion of this thesis. 4. Nunun Indrasari, M.Pd, the co-advisor has guided the writer a lot until the finishing of this thesis. ix 5. All lecturers of English Department of Tarbiyah and Teacher Training Faculty who have taught the writer since the first of her study. 6. Markoni S.Pd the headmaster of SMPN 1 Karya Penggawa Pesisir Barat, Melda Wati S.Pd, the English teacher, all administration staff and the eighth grade students of SMPN 1 Karya Penggawa Pesisir Barat for allowing her to carry out the research in their institution. 7. Her beloved father, Mr. Mat Halim and mother, Mrs. Mursyidah, as well as her beloved brother for their support, love, and everything that she cannot tell all in words. 8. Her beloved friends, especially friends in class D who gave greately contribution toward the completion of this thesis. Finally, the writer is fully aware that there are still a lot of weaknesses in this thesis. For this, the writer truthfully expects criticism and suggestion from the readers to enchance the quality of the thesis. Bandar Lampung, 20 October 2016 The Writer Evi Fitria NPM. 1211040102 x