The syntax of Pakistani English

This study examines the use of invariant tags in online interactions as a potential hybrid form of communication across three varieties of English: Indian English, Pakistani English, and British English. While previous research has highlighted their frequent use in South Asian Englishes, particularly Indian English, this paper extends the investigation to Pakistani English, a variety that has received limited scholarly attention in this context. Using data from the GloWbE corpus, the study explores both the frequencies and pragmatic functions of the tags isn(’)t it, no, na, naa, naah, innit , and int(’)t it . Findings indicate, among other things, that, although Pakistani English aligns more closely with Indian English than British English in tag usage, the three varieties share a clear preference for the tag no . Pragmatically, the Pakistani subcorpus proved to be the most diverse, with each of the distinguished categories identified in the data. Overall, the presence of invariant tags in online discourse suggests that this feature, commonly associated with spoken language, is increasingly integrated into (written) digital communication. However, further research is required to allow for more reliable conclusions as to whether online interactions truly constitute a hybrid form of communication between spoken and written language.