Students' Grammatical Errors in Narrative Writing: Narrative-Based Grammar Enhancement Program (NB-GEP)

Abstract

This study examined the experiences of students engaged in collaborative narrative writing within an academic setting, focusing on stylistic preferences, grammatical awareness, and emerging thematic patterns. It aimed to explore how collaborative writing processes influence narrative development, linguistic accuracy, and thematic expression while addressing persistent challenges in students’ grammatical proficiency. Employing a qualitative research design grounded in narrative inquiry, the study gathered data through written outputs, reflective accounts, and collaborative writing activities. Data were analyzed using stylistic analysis, grammatical error categorization, and thematic coding to identify structural and experiential dimensions of narrative writing. Findings revealed diverse stylistic preferences, including vivid descriptions, humor, character-driven storytelling, non-linear narratives, and social commentary. Collaborative writing encouraged participants to discover and refine their individual narrative voices while learning from different storytelling approaches. Grammatical analysis identified recurring errors involving subject-verb agreement, run-on sentences, tense consistency, dialogue punctuation, and pronoun-antecedent agreement. However, peer interaction fostered greater grammatical awareness, linguistic precision, and narrative coherence. Thematic analysis revealed patterns of metaphorical expression, historical references, identity formation, self-reflection, and imaginative storytelling. These findings indicate that collaborative narrative writing provides meaningful opportunities to strengthen grammatical competence, creativity, and thematic exploration. The study concluded that integrating collaborative writing strategies into classroom instruction can enhance students’ technical and expressive writing abilities. It recommends structured writing workshops, targeted grammar interventions, peer feedback activities, and guided narrative prompts to promote active participation, creative expression, and improved writing proficiency. These instructional practices may support effective narrative writing development among students.