A Comparative Study of Stance Markers in the Abstracts of Chinese Master’s Theses and Research Articles by English Expert Writers

Zihan  Wu

doi:10.54691/cfbd5721

Authors

Zihan Wu

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.54691/cfbd5721

Keywords:

Master’s theses; Academic abstracts; Stance markers; Comparative study.

Abstract

This study employs Hyland’s (2005) classification framework for stance markers as its core analytical tool. It constructs two small, comparable corpora—one comprising abstracts of Chinese master’s theses and the other comprising abstracts of scholarly articles by experts—and utilizes corpus-based quantitative statistics and comparative analysis to systematically examine the usage characteristics and differences of stance markers in these two text types. The findings reveal that while the total number of stance markers in master’s thesis abstracts is higher, their density is only half that of expert abstracts, indicating issues of loose and redundant usage and low expressive efficiency. In contrast, stance markers in expert abstracts are used with greater precision and restraint, achieving a balance between academic rigor and expressive efficiency. The results of this study provide empirical evidence and practical insights for teaching the writing of academic English abstracts at the master’s level.

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References

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