| Summary: | This study investigates some problematic uses of English prepositions in Iraqi EFL college students'
recognition and production of English preposition, i.e. their compositions and recognition at four levels
of proficiency. The prepositional errors for each level, their frequency and percentage were calculated
and compared across these levels to identify developmental and fossilized errors in the learners'
recognition and production of English prepositions. The analysis of the students' answers shows that ( 8)
prepositions are fossilized, i.e. the students didn't develop their competence of these prepositions
throughout the learning process. As for the production test, i.e. students compositions, (15)
Prepositional error types are identified, of which the most frequently made is the wrong selection of
prepositions after verbs. Out of fifteen error types, six are identified as developmental and nine as
fossilized. The study concludes that most of the students commit fossilized errors mostly in prepositions
such as phrasal, compound and participial which show the permanent retention of prepositional errors
in their recognition and compositions. As a result some useful recommendations were given to be taken
into consideration when teaching prepositions in order to improve the recognition and writing
competence of Iraqi EFL Learners concerning the use of English prepositions.
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