Behzad Anwar

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.

This study investigates patterns, frequency rates and pragmatic functions of address terms in the Pakistani English (PakE) i.e. a non-native variety of English. The research follows a corpus-based approach to investigate address terms used in formal and informal contexts and institutional settings through its own self-compiled PakE texts database. It applies AntConc software to reveal prevalent address terms before conducting a semantic analysis and comparing their utilization patterns against British and American English language patterns. Sociolinguistic interviews extend the research findings with cultural appropriateness analysis and pragmatic motivation data. The users of PakE incorporate address forms derived from both indigenous cultural traditions and colonial influences, thereby reflecting the multilingualism and hierarchical social structures characteristic of Pakistani society. This study develops World Englishes and pragmatics knowledge bases while generating practical learning benefits for Pakistani English language teaching practices.

Discourse markers (DMs) perform various functions in spoken and written interaction. This study explores the role of DMs as turn-taking device in interruptive and overlapped speech in Pakistani English and Urdu morning shows. The data has been extracted from Pakistani morning shows of two different languages i.e. English and Urdu. The spoken data has been transcribed according to Jefferson’s (2004) transcription symbols. The study adopts the theoretical framework proposed by Brinton (1996). The method of Conversation Analysis (CA) has been applied to transcribed conversations of both shows. The analysis indicates that participants frequently employ discourse markers (DMs) at turn-initial positions to take the floor by interrupting others. Participants’ interruption for taking turn also causes overlap of speech in most of the instances. The distribution of DMs in English and Urdu morning shows exhibits some differences. However, similarities have also been found in the use of DMs for turn-taking. The findings confirm that DMs perform significant functions in turn-taking during conversation.

Language is an innate ability of human being and it is used to communicate a specific function. Language has power and it is exercised by the speaker. Political speeches are delivered by the speakers to convince their audience and criticize opponents. This study is based on political speeches of Zulfikar Ali Bhutto which he delivered in different periods i.e., 1948-1965. He delivered numerous speeches during this period but this study is based on 138 speeches. A corpus has been compiled that comprises of 482,365 word tokens. The process of corpus compilation has been very careful each speech is saved in a separate file. The data is presented in tabular form based on four types of clusters; I-statements, we-statements, you-statements and they-statements. The frequency of these four personal pronouns has been analyzed with different adverbial boosters that are used by the speaker. These assertive strategies are analyzed with the research lens of Searle’s Speech Act theory. This study is beneficial for two aspects; first, a corpus has been compiled specifically for this study and second it leaves research gaps for the future studies; comparison of two different political leaders can be done to generalize the findings, more material of Zulfikar Ali Bhutto’s interviews and addresses can be added.

Pakistani English is recognized as a distinct variety within the outer circle of non-native varieties of English. Its characteristic features, such as syntactic, lexical, and phonological traits, demonstrate a significant interplay between English and indigenous languages like Urdu, Pushto, and Punjabi. The main goal of this study is to examine the collocation patterns and their importance in Pakistani English novels. A corpus of one million words is examined using Lancsbox software. The theory of collocation guides the analysis of the corpus. A mixed-method approach is used to analyze collocations and their ideological underpinnings. The results show that the collocations reflect different themes that help shape Pakistani identity. The study also found that reading Pakistani novels in English enhances language skills and comprehension. The selected works portray people's lives, their aspirations, challenges, and history.

In today's world, where nations are interconnected through media, the analysis of media discourse from different perspectives on societal issues has gained much currency. The present study analyzes the satirical representation of a newspaper cartoon to find out how these media persons utilize cartoons and the accompanying linguistic choices to affect readers' opinions and understandings. Guided by qualitative research methodology, the data for this study is collected in the form of one cartoon selected through purposive sampling from a Pakistani English newspaper i.e., Dawn. Taking insights from Barthes's (1957) theory of semiotics and Fairclough’s (1995) Critical Discourse Analysis (CDA) model, the study utilizes an integrated framework for a fine-grain analysis of cartoon discourse. The intermingling of these two models of analysis has helped the researchers to highlight how newspaper cartoon discourse can be utilized to construct and highlight certain ideologies. The selected cartoon under the caption "OIC seeks global intervention to halt Gaza genocide," highlights the themes of victimization and powerlessness. By utilizing the signs of a man and a wooden log for the OIC (Organization of Islamic Cooperation) and Gaza, respectively, the cartoonist has evoked feelings of sympathy for the innocent killing of Palestinians. Hence, the study has found a logical connection between linguistic and semiotic systems to highlight the OIC's inefficacy and the world's indifference and hypocritical response towards the humanitarian crisis in Gaza.

This study aims to analyze the variation in the placement of adverbials in the non-native variety of English i.e. Pakistani English. From the current pedagogical point of view, the placement of adverbials in Pakistani English is influenced both by the Pakistani languages itself and by local teaching practices. Identifying the diverse placement and position of adverbials in the different registers under consideration is the key issue that has been addressed in the present research. A corpus of Pakistani English newspapers, short stories and novels was compiled to analyze the variations in the use of adverbials in non-native contexts. AntConc software has been used to extract the adverbials. The extracted examples reflect the state of development and the degree of variation in Pakistan English. The results and findings of this study show that there are some changes in the placement of adverbial in Pakistani English as compared to British English. These differences point out the specificities and novelties that are the characteristics of Pakistani English. These positional differences show variation in style in Pakistani English in comparison to the norms of Standard English. This study contributes to the flow of knowledge about variation in English and maps out the distinct use of English in Pakistan.

This study aims to examine the representation of the Gaza war in Pakistani and British newspaper editorials through cartoons. Machin and Mayr (2012) multimodal analytical model has been applied for the analysis of cartoons. The data for this study is collected from English newspapers. The data source of this research included two Pakistani newspapers (The Dawn, The News International) and two British newspapers (The Telegraph, The Independent). The time period for the data collection is 3 weeks. The editorial cartoons have been selected by using the purposive sampling technique. The results of the study indicate that Pakistani and British newspaper editorial cartoons show significant differences in narrative focus and ideological alignment regarding the issue of the Gaza war. Pakistani cartoons highlight the victimization of Palestinians, criticize western support for Israel, and advocate Islamic and international solidarity against the policies of Israel. In contrast, British cartoons criticize political leadership and larger international issues through humor and satire. These findings reflect the political, cultural, and social background of each country, which influences the way the Gaza war is represented and perceived by the public. This study highlights the importance of cartoons and images in conveying specific ideas and perspectives, particularly in the context of the Gaza war.

The present study is a critique of the language used in a literary text i.e., The Stone Woman (2000) written by Tariq Ali, a famous Pakistani-British writer in order to find out gender disparities through transitivity analysis. For the purpose two characters, Nilofer and Selim, the female and male participants of romance scenes are selected. Following a mixed method approach, the study has collected fifty clauses as sample through purposive sampling. The greater number of clauses i.e., thirty clauses used to represent the female while the lesser number i.e., twenty clauses for the male show a biased attitude of the writer. The analysis shows that the female is described through a maximum use of all the four identified types of clauses: fifty-eight percent material, sixty percent mental, sixty-seven percent behavioral and sixty-seven percent verbal. In comparison to this the clauses used to describe the male appear with lesser frequency: forty-two percent material, forty percent mental, and thirty-three percent behavioral and verbal each. Moreover, the allocation of the participants’ roles with power and authority are mostly reserved for the female: fifty-eight percent actor ,sixty percent senser , sixty-seven percent sayer while the male is shown less active through maximum fifty-nine percent goal and sixty seven percent receiver roles. The findings of the study clearly show that Nilofer is more dominant and authoritative in the romance scenes as compared to Selim who is reluctant and acts only when he is encouraged by the female. Hence, the study finds that the traditionally reserved gender roles are reversed in Ali’s The Stone Woman.