Comparative analysis of Nigerian English and American English morphological features in media texts
DOI: 10.23951/1609-624X-2026-6-17-26
The analysis of English variants in the context of interlingual and intercultural interaction at the global level is a relevant area of research for interdisciplinary scholars. However, there is currently a knowledge gap in linguistic science regarding the analysis of English variants adaptation in various types of texts. English media texts, which combine information in the form of written texts and video materials, reflect the current trends in the development of modern global society. Currently, there is a knowledge gap in the field of comparative analysis of English media texts, which requires further research works. The object of this article is to identify the similarities and differences between Nigerian English and American English media texts at the grammatical level. Based on a comparative analysis, it has been established that both Nigerian English and American English media texts share similar characteristics such as media-specificity, mass appeal, intertextuality, and relevance. However, there is a key difference in terms of intertextuality: while American English media texts tend to have a high degree of hypertextual references, Nigerian English media texts tend to have minimal use of hypertextual references and allusions to other texts. Based on a comparative analysis of Nigerian English and American English, the morphological features of the analyzed variants in media texts were identified. It has been proven that omission of articles and the functioning of Simple tenses belong to universal morphological features, which is dictated by the need to provide information in an accessible and concise form. It has been established that significant grammatical transformation processes are characteristic of Nigerian English media texts compared to American English media texts. Morphological transformation processes function in Nigerian English media texts in the form of non-compliance with the singular and/or plural form of a noun; ignoring the rules of tense agreement when translating sentences from direct to indirect speech; omission of particles; violation of grammatical norms when using pronouns and negative verb forms; and incorrect functioning of the verb to be. The reasons for the identified morphological transformations in Nigerian English media texts are the interference of indigenous languages and the insufficient level of education of some of the interviewed communicants.
Keywords: morphological features comparative analysis, Nigerian English, American English, media text, transformational processes
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Issue: 6, 2026
Series of issue: Issue 6
Rubric: THEORETICAL, COMPARATIVE-CONTRASTIVE AND APPLIED LINGUISTICS
Pages: 17 — 26
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