An Analysis of Appositive Phrases in Observation Report Texts by 8th-Grade Students at SMP Deli Murni Diski

Abstract

This study aimed to describe the forms, functions, and accuracy of appositive phrase usage in observation report texts written by eighth-grade students of SMP Deli Murni Diski. The study was conducted at SMP Deli Murni Diski during the 2024/2025 academic year. The population consisted of all observation report texts produced by eighth-grade students, while the sample comprised 69 observation report texts selected using a total sampling technique. This study employed a qualitative approach with a descriptive method. The researcher served as the primary research instrument, supported by a data analysis sheet developed based on the indicators of the forms, functions, and accuracy of appositive phrase usage. Data were collected through documentation techniques and analyzed using the stages of data reduction, data presentation, linguistic analysis, and conclusion drawing. The findings revealed that the use of appositive phrases in the students’ observation report texts was very limited. Of the 69 texts analyzed, only one contained an appositive phrase, namely Kucing Peliharaan. The phrase consists of two noun phrases referring to the same entity, with Kucing peliharaan functioning as the head phrase and kucing peliharaan as the explanatory phrase. The appositive phrase was used accurately because it fulfilled the characteristics of an appositive construction. Meanwhile, most of the texts did not contain appositive phrases and instead relied on definitional, classificatory, and descriptive sentences to present information about the observed objects. These findings indicate that students’ ability to use appositive phrases in observation report writing has not yet developed optimally.