EXPLORING SPELLING AND PUNCTUATION ERRORS AMONG ESL LEARNERS: A CASE STUDY OF SSC STUDENTS OF THE KOHAT BOARD, KHYBER PAKHTUNKHWA

Abstract

This study investigates the use of spelling and punctuation in the writing of SSC high-achieving students from BISE Kohat. Adopting a mixed-method approach, the research combined qualitative error analysis with quantitative measures to examine the frequency and patterns of errors in students’ written responses. Data were collected through open-ended questionnaires from randomly sampled students who secured 90% or above marks in the SSC Annual Examination 2020. The analysis is grounded in Corder’s (1971) Error Analysis framework, which views learner errors as a valuable source of insight into second language development. The findings revealed that punctuation errors occur far more frequently than spelling errors, indicating a gap in students’ writing competence. Common issues included incorrect or missing capitalization, improper or absent use of commas, and limited awareness of basic punctuation conventions. In contrast, spelling errors appear comparatively moderate and consistent. The results also suggest that high academic achievement does not necessarily correspond to accuracy in writing, thereby raising concerns about current assessment practices. This study recommends structured practice, explicit teaching of writing conventions, and more effective feedback mechanisms to improve students’ overall writing proficiency.