Abstract
This study explores the use of modal verbs in Pakistani and American English through a corpus-based analysis of data drawn from the Global Web-Based English (GloWbE) corpus. The study examines five modal verbs—must, should, may, might, and would—through a comparative analysis of their semantic, pragmatic, and collocational patterns in the two English varieties. Based on the frequency counts, concordance lines and collocational analysis, the study demonstrates that Pakistani English is more likely to be used in formal registers whereas American English is more conversational. There are also differences in collocational patterns that bear the cultural and practical impacts in both varieties. The findings provide an empirical evidence of regional variation in modal verb usage, contributing to the fields of World Englishes and Corpus Linguistics. Moreover, the study provides pedagogical implications in teaching English language based on the findings of the research, emphasizing the role of contextual and regional sensitivity in teaching and learning modal verbs. The study emphasizes the significance of corpus-based approaches in investigating authentic language use across different varieties of English. References Abdullayev, S. (2024). The pragmatic functions of modal verbs in discourse: A corpus-based study. Journal of New Century Innovations, 50(2), 148–150. Adel, A. (Ed.). (2022). Corpus pragmatics: A handbook. Cambridge University Press. Ahmad, W. S., Nazeer, I., & Ahmad, K. (2022). Stance-modal and semi-modal verbs: A corpus-based study. Pakistan Social Sciences Review, 6(4), 30–40. https://doi.org/10.35484/pssr.2022(6-IV)04 Akeel, E. S. (2020). A corpus-based study of modal verbs in academic writing of English native speakers and Saudis. Arab World English Journal. Alhassan, H., Addae, A., Quarcoo, M. A., & Danquah, G. K. (2023). A corpus-based analysis of modality in the COVID-19 addresses by President Akuffo Addo. European Journal of Applied Linguistics Studies, 6(2). Anwar, N., & Butt, I. R. (2025). A comparative study of modality markers in Pakistani and US English: Evidence from GloWbE. International Journal of Social Sciences Bulletin, 3(11), 318–327. Bashir, A., Ullah, I., & Iqbal, L. (2025). Epistemic modal verbs in the field of linguistics and literature: A corpus-based study. Journal of Social Sciences Review, 3(2), 310–330. https://doi.org/10.54183/jssr.v3i2.310 Biber, D., & Conrad, S. (2021). Register, genre, and style in corpus studies. Routledge. Chapwanya, F. C., & Nel, J. H. (2024). Frequency and variability in the use of modal verbs in Zimbabwean English. Corpus Pragmatics, 8, 201–227. https://doi.org/10.1007/s41701-024-00165-2 Durán-Martínez, R., & Sánchez, M. J. (2022). Improving modal verb treatment in English textbooks using native and learner corpora. Görlach, M. (2022). Modal verbs and their pragmatic functions in English corpora. Journal of Pragmatics. Hyland, K. (2023). Corpus approaches to evaluation and stance in academic discourse. John Benjamins. Khan, F. W., Zafar, M. S., & Bukhtiar, H. (2021). A corpus analysis of modality in COVID-19–based editorials of Pakistani English newspapers. Balochistan Journal of Linguistics, 9. Leech, G., & Smith, N. (2021). Modal auxiliaries in global Englishes: A corpus perspective. World Englishes. McEnery, T., & Hardie, A. (2022). Corpus linguistics: Method, theory and practice (3rd ed.). Cambridge University Press. Mindt, D. (2025). Investigating diachronic shifts within a domain of English modality. English Language & Linguistics, 29(3), 505–526. Modal verbs in English and Shahmukhi Punjabi language: A corpus-driven comparative study. (2025). Journal of Applied Linguistics and TESOL, 8(1), Noshair, R., Arshad, M. U., Yasmeen, & Hamza, M. A. (2025). Analyzing modal verbs as politeness markers in British and Pakistani English communication: A corpus-based comparative study. Advance Social Science Archive Journal, 4(1), 3655–3666. Poli, F. (2024). Modal verb usage in tourism discourse: An analysis of a corpus of websites promoting the city of Verona. Iperstoria, 23. Qian, Y. (Ed.). (2024). Models of modals: From pragmatics and corpus linguistics to machine learning. Römer, U. (2024). Patterns of modal verb usage in contemporary English: A corpus perspective. Language & Linguistics Compass. Shah, M. I., & Hussain, A. (2025). Re-evaluating the representation of central modal verbs in secondary level ELT textbooks: A corpus-driven analysis for curriculum enhancement in Chitral, Pakistan. Social Science Review Archives, 3(3), 1396–1407. https://doi.org/10.70670/sra.v3i3.969 Stubbs, M. (2023). Corpus analysis: Language structure and meaning. Cambridge University Press. The use of modal verbs in English. (2025). International Conference on Linguistics, Literature and Translation.