MISTAKES COMMITTED BY IRAQI UNDERGRADUATE EFL STUDENTS’ IN THE USE OF THE INDEFINITE ARTICLE

This study is an analysis of structure written by Iraqi first-, second-, third- and fourth-stage collage English as a Foreign Language (EFL) students. This study aims at identifying with restriction the types of errors they potential errors in the use of the indefinite article. Nine kinds of error were identified, and their recurrence calculated and then compared through the three levels. These errors are: (1) delete phrases represent the indefinite article, (2) writing within of the noun/adjective it is the following (3) Replaced by the indefinite for the definite article, (4) substituting of the definite for the indefinite article, (5) substituting of a for an,(6) using of the indefinite article with undifferentiated plurals, (7) use of the indefinite article with remarkable plurals, (8) use of the indefinite article with uncountable nouns, and (9) using of the 2indefinite..article..with..adjectives. The different earlier error analyses, native language converts and transfer was found to substitute which is at best minimal. The evaluation revealed that all errors, except one, are independent of the student' native language. The only kind of error which could be keep track back to the influence of Arabic, among other sources, was the deleting of the indefinite article. Developmental elements and popular learning strategies such as facilitation and over generalization were found to compute for the plurality of learners' errors. The using of these strategies was obvious among the EFL learners of the four stages who were found to do well on assured items and to have difficulty with others.