‘Where’, ‘In Which’, and ‘In That’: A Corpus-Based Approach to Error Analysis

This paper analyses the use of the word where in texts written by Malay-speaking learners of English. Data from a learner corpus is compared with data from two corpora of academic writing by native English-speaker writers. Considerable over-use of where is found: this is explained as a consequence of various patterns of misuse of where and non-use of standard forms of relativization common in written academic English. Suggestions are offered as to (a) the causes of misuse and (b) teaching strategies for helping students avoid misuse.