A Multidimensional Analysis of Linguistics Variation in Pakistani English Newspaper Editorials

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Published Sep 30, 2023
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Vol. 6 No. 3 (2023): Jahan-e-Tahqeeq

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Hina Manzoor
MPhil Applied Linguistics, Department of Applied Linguistics, Government College University, Faisalabad. Email: haniyanoor590@gmail.com
Mughira Mehvish
Visiting Lecturer, Department of English, Ghazi University Dera Ghazi Khan. Email: mugheeramehwish@gmail.com
Khizar Abbas
Visiting Lecturer, Emerson University, Multan. Email: khizarabbas76@yahoo.com

Abstract

The current study employs a corpus-based approach to investigate linguistic variation in Pakistani English newspaper editorials. The study aligns with the analytical framework proposed by Biber (1988) in Dimension 4, which focuses on the Overt Expression of Persuasion. The Multidimensional Analysis Tagger (MAT) is utilized to facilitate this exploration. This research primarily aims to unravel the diverse variations within the newspaper editorial genre and discern the extent to which different newspapers express persuasiveness and argumentation through the co-occurrence of linguistic features in their editorial writing. The corpus for this study comprises 1000 editorials sourced from four reputable newspapers: Dawn News (DN), The Frontier (TF), The Express Tribune (TET), and The News (TN). Each newspaper contributes 250 editorials, all retrieved from online sources. Multidimensional (MD) analysis, a methodological approach, is employed to quantitatively analyze the data extracted from these newspaper editorials. The study's key findings reveal that Dawn newspaper editorials exhibit a higher degree of persuasive and argumentative linguistic features when compared to other categories of newspaper editorials. Furthermore, when compared to Biber's (1988) register classification, the language used in newspaper editorials closely resembles that of general fiction. This highlights the unique linguistic characteristics and persuasive elements found in this specific genre, emphasizing the need to recognize its distinctive place within the realm of written discourse.

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