MODAL VERBS IN ENGLISH AND SHAHMUKHI PUNJABI LANGUAGE: A CORPUS DRIVEN COMPARATIVE STUDY

Abstract

The present study attempts to examine the function and use of modal verbs in English and the Shahmukhi Punjabi language. Particular emphasis is laid on syntactic and functional characteristics of modality in Shahmukhi Punjabi. Qualitative exploratory research method is used for comparative research study of the modal verbs of English and Shahmukhi Punjabi. Simpson’s (1997) model on modality & Thompsons’ (2004) framework, derived from functional grammar is used as a framework. The corpus is made up of 100 Translated Punjabi short stories from the site RVEL. The scope of the discussion is related to epistemic, deontic and dynamic aspects of modality in both languages showing how dynamic modality is expressed in Shahmukhi Punjabi through structures for example ‘ہو سکدا اے is giving the expression of the modals 'may' and 'might' in English. The results reveal significant differences on the basis of grammar and contextual understanding in both languages. This research shows the syntax and semantics variations in the construction of modal expressions and lays a base for future inquiries into Shahmukhi Punjabi across the study of modality. It adds to the linguistic study of the South Asian languages in understanding the complexities of their syntax and semantics.