A Corpus-based Contrastive Analysis of to be +Ved Passive Constructions in Pakistani and Turkish Novels

Abstract

This study conducted a corpus-based contrastive analysis of passive constructions in Pakistani (Home Fire) and Turkish (The Red-Haired Woman) novels, utilizing Systemic Functional Linguistics (SFL) and a cultural approach to Critical Discourse Analysis (CCDA). It aimed to reveal how transitivity and passive constructions in different linguistic and cultural contexts reflect social themes. While the passive voice is well-studied in English, this research fills a gap by examining it in Pakistani and Turkish literature. Using the UAM Corpus tool and CCDA, the study found significant variations in the use of passive constructions, with both novels showing a preference for material and relational processes but differing in their thematic focus. The findings underscore the role of passive constructions in reflecting cultural and linguistic contexts in literature, offering new insights into how language, culture, and society intersect.