DECODING ACADEMIC PERSUASION: A STUDY OF VERY FIRST SENTENCES IN PAKISTANI RESEARCH ARTICLES

Abstract

The present research paper offers an analysis of rhetorical features, linguistics, and textual choices found in the Very First Sentence (VFS) of research papers produced by Pakistani researchers in the English language and literature. The researchers examine a corpus of fifty research articles from ten Pakistani Journals. This study adopts a genre-based approach and the Swales CARS model to analyze each article's rhetorical and textual VFS. The present study reveals that Pakistani researchers in the English language and literature follow Move One as their preferred pattern for VFS. They start their research with an emphasis on the significance of the topic. Their choice of words reveals their rhetorical objectives. The textual analysis highlights the recurrent use of the present tense, which shows their connection to the current knowledge and their desire to be relevant. The researchers prominently use terms such as ‘the study and ‘employ,’ showing their focus on advanced study models from Western sources. The present research contributes to the understanding of effective academic writing practice in the Pakistani context. No study has been conducted on the importance of VFS in Pakistani research articles. It fills this gap by exploring the textual and rhetorical features of the first sentences in Pakistani research papers. It also highlights the persuasive strategies employed in the VFS of the articles. The findings contribute to academic writing conventions and offer valuable insights for scholars interested in understanding the writing practices of Pakistani researchers in English language and literature.