A Corpus Driven Comparative Analysis of Modal Verbs in Pakistani and British English Fictions

The aim of the study is to carry out a comparative corpus driven stylistic analysis of modal verbs in Pakistani and British English fictions. For this purpose, corpora of Pakistani English fiction (PEF) and British English fiction (BEF), consisting of one million words each has been compiled. POS tagging has been done on both the corpora, using software CLAWS tag set C 7. With the help of software Antconc 3.2.4, concordance lines of the tagged data have been manually explored for detailed study of modal verbs. The research is important as it helps to identify various insights that have been conveyed through the use of modal verbs in PEF and BEF. The study also assists in the stylistic interpretation of other word classes. This research has opened new horizons for the future researcher. It is also helpful for the teachers as well as the students of literature to have a better understanding of literature. Key Words: Corpus Stylistics, PEF, BEF, Modal Verbs