Language is a very complex thing

Language is a very complex thing and it cannot yet be fully accounted for by anyone within one wholly consistent and comprehensive theory. Language is a meant of communication. It is an important tool for expressing ideas or facts. Language is immensely old precisely as old as our remotest human ancestors, for it is language with make our species human, stringly differentiating us from all other species.

Language is defined as systematized combinations of sounds which have meaning for all person in a given cultural community. For those languages which have been recorded, writing is the graphic representation of this combination of sounds. This definition of languages doesn't include such gestures, facial expression and other body movements as have been mentioned. Which, though they play a part in communication.

English as a foreign language is one of the compulsory subject that is taught in Indonesia. It is taught at Junior High School (SMP), Senior High School (SMA) up to university level. The teaching of English at Senior High School consists of a wide score of language teaching. It comprises the teaching of the four language skill ; litening, speaking, reading and writing; and the language aspects : structure and vocabulary. They are taught in every semester from the first up to the third grade.

Along with the above statement, it is clear that structure is taught in every semester to SMA's students. The goal of teaching structure is to get the learners speak and write correctly. Relating to this case, structure is the way to build a model of that uniquely human ability to construct and understand sentences.

In expressing any idea in both written and spoken language. Structure plays a rule considerably. In this case, structure is a set of rule by which we generate utterances which we hope will convey the meaning to those who intended to receive the utterances. Structure is also a set of rule by which we judge the grammaticality of our utterances in comparison with these of other speakers of the language.

As a matter of fact, structure is one of the barriers that frequently hampers students in learning English. They even often stuble and fall. For instance, they face some problems in learning the tenses from grammatical taught. This occurs probably due to the fact the rules of English structure is quite different from student's mother tongue or they do not understand the function the tense itself. To overcome this, the English teaching experts try to find and develop methods and techniques of teaching English either as second or foreign language to nonnative speakers.

Perhaps the most important word in the definition is sistematized. We speak in certain patterns or according to certain system. Thus, grammar of the language is the system how the language works in order.

There is a tendency to work out the whole topics in this minor research. The writer focused her work only on English subjunctive (conditional sentences) in order to know how the students are able to understand or master the materials related to the subject with direct method. This research was done to the first year students of SMAN 3 Takengon.

Teaching on grammar, it is one of the language aspects usually difficult for students to learn, and it is sometimes for teachers to find the appropriate method of teaching-learning process.

Grammar (structure) is taught in every semester to SMA's students. The goal of teaching structure is to get the learners speak and write correctly. Without knowing structure the learners will not able to use (to speak and write) correctly. Relating to this case, structure is the way to build a model of that unique human ability to construct and understand sentences.

Grammar is one aspects that must be learned by the students in order to know the rules of English language. Grammar has a wide scope namely tenses, gerund, auxiliaries, subjunctive, etc. Subjunctive (conditional sentence) is a conditional form contrary to the fact or true situation (Azar, 1985:392). People often make wishes when want reality to be different, to be exactly the opposite of (contrary to) the true situation. Examples: 1. I don't know how to dance (the true situation) I wish (that) I knew how to dance (subjunctive) 2. I can't speak Chinese (the true situation) I wish I could speak Chinese (subjunctive) 3. It isn't Saturday (the true situation) I wish it were Saturday (subjunctive) 4. James isn't here (the true situation) I wish he were here (subjunctive) 5. I have to study for a test (the true situation) I wish I didn't have to study for a test (subjunctive)

In this case, the writer will conduct the research at SMAN 3 Takengon. She will choose this school as location of this study because she wants to know how far the students of the first year of SMAN 3 Takengon can master subjunctive. Therefore, the writer is interested to do the research at that school.

The writer in this case as a consolidate of the teacher thinks that she is responsible to look forwards a good technique for teaching subjunctive more interesting to the students. The writer would like to make a study about the students' ability in mastering subjunctive especially the first year students of SMAN 3 Takengon. Further the writer will choose it because when she conducted preliminary study, the writer found the students got difficulties in mastery structure especially their achievement of subjunctive was low. Therefore, the writer is interested to do the research at that school. Based on the above explanation the writer will discuss about "Students' Ability in Using English Subjunctive" (A Case Study at the First Year Students of SMAN 3 Takengon).

1.2 The Problem of the Study

The problem of the study are formulated as follows : 1.How far the first year students' of SMAN 3 Takengon can master subjunctive ? 2.What difficulties are faced by the students in mastering subjunctive ? 1.3 The Purpose of the Study 1. To find out how far the first year students of SMAN 3 Takengon can master subjunctive. 2. To find out what difficulties faced by the students in mastering subjunctive. 1.4 The Scope of the Study

This kind of research involves a study of English subjunctive by the first year students of SMAN 3 Takengon. This research is limited to the analysis of the test on subjunctive given to the first year students of SMAN 3 Takengon.

1.5Population and Sample