Recurrent Multi-word Sequences: Syntactic Structure and Function in EFL Student Writing Texts
Year: 2026
Type: article
Abstract: This study analyzed Recurrent Multi-word Sequences (RMS) in the writing of EFL students in the English Language Education Study Programme at Universitas Negeri Gorontalo, focusing on their syntactic structures and discourse functions. Using a qualitative approach, the study examined 98 writing texts containing 88,576 tokens from third-semester students in the Class of 2020 and 45 texts containing 25,969 tokens from fifth-semester students in the Class of 2021. The RMS were identified using AntConc based on frequency and range, and the most frequent sequences were examined through concordance lines. The analysis focused on two syntactic structures, Noun Phrase (NP) and Verb Phrase (VP), and two discourse functions, Discourse Organizers (DO) and Stance Expressions (SE). Results showed different syntactic patterns between the two groups: Class of 2020 was dominated by NP-structured RMS (66.7%), while Class of 2021 was dominated by VP-structured RMS (66.3%). In terms of function, DO was dominant in both groups, accounting for 79.5% of RMS in Class of 2020 and 64.2% in Class of 2021, while SE accounted for 20.5% and 35.8%, respectively. The findings indicate that Class of 2020 use RMS to refer to and describe topic-related information, whereas Class of 2021 use RMS verb-based sequences for expressing possibility, evaluation, conclusions, and relationships between ideas. The findings suggest that RMS provide useful patterns for describing how EFL students construct academic meaning through recurring syntactic structures and discourse functions.
Institution: State University of Gorontalo
Language: English
Subfield: Developmental and Educational Psychology
Field: Psychology
Domain: Social Sciences
SDG: Quality education
Open Access status: gold
Estimated APC paid: $32
OpenAlex ID: W7221279065