Ditransitive Verbs: An English Print Media based Comparison of Pakistani English and British English

Abstract

The present study highlights the ditransitive complementation between Pakistani English (PE) and British English (BE). The ditransitive verb complementation allows double objects in a sentence i.e. indirect object and direct object. Since the current study uses qualitative research methodology, a sample of 48 statements selected from these Pakistani Print Media sources: one newspaper, six daily magazines and two weekly magazines; eventually, 8 statements out of the 48 statements were only found suitable. Although, the findings of the present paper may be generalized as per the nature of study. Moreover, the retrieved data is analyzed in correspondence with the three patterns of ditransitive complementation of BE as introduced by Rahman (1990). Finally, the findings of the current study showed that PE utilizes infinitive phrase at the place of direct object; in view of second pattern PE leaves out indirect object and that clause remains the same between the two mentioned Englishes. Hence, in view of the third and last pattern, PE applies to infinitive in the place of indirect object and prepositional idiom. The study, hereby, has been successful in identifying the ditransitive complementation deviations between PE and BE.