Problems of Active and Passive Construction in English and Indonesian

Abstract

This research aims to compare the differences between active and passive constructions in English and Indonesian and identify the difficulties experienced by learners in understanding and using both constructions. This research uses qualitative method with contrastive analysis technique in comparing the grammatical forms of English and Indonesian sentences as well as the pragmatic value between active and passive constructions. Data collection is done through literature review of related academic sources such as textbooks, journals, as well as previous studies. The following research shows that English directs in using the active structure in the struggle for openness and clarity, even Indonesian directs in using the passive structure in contemplating for polite or rational context. The fundamental difference is how to form passive sentences: English uses the auxiliary verb ‘to be’ and the past participle, and Indonesian uses prefixes such as ‘di-’ and ‘ter-’. The findings have pedagogical implications in grammar teaching, especially in facilitating students to overcome first language interference. The research provides suggestions for contextualised and step-by-step teaching for active and passive constructions.