Errors made by Iraqi EFL non-departmental undergraduates in using definite and indefinite articles

Abstract EN

This study aims at identifying the kinds of errors that Iraqi FEL No departmental undergraduates made in the use of definite and indefinite articles.

These errors are : (1) deletion of the indefinite article (2) substitution of the indefinite for the definite article (3) substitution of the definite for the indefinite article (4) substitution of a for an.

Native language transfer was found to play a role in committing such errors.

The study also concluded that little opportunities were given to EFL non-departmental undergraduates for illustrating English contexts through which definite and indefinite articles are used, and the absence of the opportunities to train them to think in the target language (English) not the mother tongue (Arabic) while using English articles.