Proposed Title 1

An Analysis of Variations of Language

Features Used in Newspaper Headlines of
‘THE SUN’, ‘THE TIMES’ and
‘THE GUARDIAN’
Group -1

Lin Htut Wai Yan Myint 4E – 4

Thin Taraphe Aung 4E – 5
Au Au Khin 4E – 10
1 Eingyinn Suu 4E – 12
Contents
1. Introduction
2. Literature Review
3. Research Methodology
4. Sample Analysis
5. Expected Outcomes
6. References

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1. Introduction
• focuses on the differences of language features between ‘THE SUN’,
‘THE TIMES’ and ‘THE GUARDIANS’
• uses the language features proposed by Hodgson(1987)

Aim
• to study the language features used by three different newspapers

Objectives
• to analyze the language features used in the newspapers
• to identify the distinctive language features between ‘THE SUN’, ‘THE
TIMES’ and ‘THE GUARDIANS’ 3
2. Literature Review
The language features proposed by Hodgson(1987)
• abbreviations
• use of punctuations
• verb(active voice/passive voice)
• omission of words
• numbers
• nouns as adjectives

This paper
• focuses mainly on the language features proposed by Hodgson(1987)
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2. Literature Review(Cont’d)
Previous studies
Previous Study 1:
Title – A Comparative Study of Language Features Used in Newspaper
Headlines of ‘THE MYANMAR TIMES’ and ‘THE GLOBAL NEW LIGHT OF
MYANMAR’
Author(s) – Kabar Kyaw, Aye Myat Kay Khine, Phyu Thwe Htet and Myat
Zin Nwe, University of Yangon
Aim – to study the headlines of two newspapers
Method – mixed method, qualitative and quantitative
Theory - the language features proposed by Hodgson(1987)
Key Findings – both newspapers use active voice under the title of verb
forms and the use of abbreviations is mostly used in the headlines 5
2. Literature Review(Cont’d)
Previous Study 2:
Title – Linguistic Features of Newspaper Headlines
Author(s) – Younis Mehdi Salih, University of Anbar
Aim – to investigate the linguistic features of headlines
Method – descriptive qualitative method
Theory – four basic functions of headlines by Mallette(1990)
Key Findings – headline writers use special vocabulary that is unusual
outside headlines in order to grab the readers’ attention

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2. Literature Review(Cont’d)
Previous Study 3:
Title – A Comparative Study of the Grammatical Features Used in the
Headlines of ‘THE MYANAMR TIMES’ and ‘THE NEW YORK TIMES’
Author(s) – Htar Sandi Naing
Aim – to study the news headlines in the two newspapers
Method – mixed method, qualitative and quantitative
Theory – grammar rules of headlines by Jan Chovanec(2014)
Key Findings – In the sports session, 50% of the ‘MYANMAR TIMES’
newspapers headlines and 40% of the ‘THE NEW YORK TIMES’
newspaper headlines shifted the tenses.
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3. Research Methodology
• employs descriptive qualitative method
• uses the language features proposed by Hodgson(1987)

Procedures
• select 10 headlines each from the sport and health section from the
three newspapers published in 2024(January-March) by using random
sampling method
• explore the language features used in the headlines
• highlight the differences between the three newspapers, ‘THE SUN’,
‘THE TIMES’ and ‘THE GUARDIANS’
• calculate the frequency and illustrate in pie chart 8
4. Sample Analysis: Sport Session
Newspape Headlines Verb

Abbreviation

Punctuation

Omission of
r

Adjectives
Nouns as
Number
Passive

Words
Active
Voice

Voice
The Sun CAR TRAGEDY Diego Chavez dead at 28: Mexican striker 1 1 1 2
killed in tragic car crash as his club FC Juarez lead tributes

The Times MSPs back plan to build golf course on protected 1 1

Highlands land

The 'We're in a great position' Woods claims PGA Tour doesn't 2 3 1

Guardian need PIF cash

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4. Sample Analysis(Cont’d): Health Session
Newspape Headlines Verb

Abbreviation

Punctuation

Omission of
r

Adjectives
Nouns as
Number
Passive

Words
Active
Voice

Voice
The Sun FLIPPIN’ HECK! NHS issues Pancake Day warning as ‘burn 1 3 1 1
and scalding’ searches surge 66%

The Times Second NHS fertility clinic named in frozen egg scandal 1 1 1

The More than 1.5m patients in England waited at least 12 2 1 2

Guardian hours in A&E in past year

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5. Expected Outcome(s)
• is expected to distinguish the different language features used in
newspapers headlines.

• is hoped to identify the most used language feature(s) in the selected

newspapers respectively.

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6. References
• Hodgson, F.W. (1987). Subediting: A Handbook of Modern Newspaper
Production.
• Kyaw, K & et. al. (2023). A Comparative Study of Language Features Used in
Newspaper Headlines of “THE MYANAMR TIMES” and “THE GLOBAL NEW
LIGHT OF MYANMAR” [Term Paper]. University of Yangon.
• Majeed, Q. A., Salih, Y. M. (2012). Linguistic Features of Newspaper Headlines.
Journal of Al Anbar University for language and literature, No. 7, 192-215.
• Naing, H. S. (2021). A Comparative Study of The Grammatical Features Used in
Headlines of “THE MYANMAR TIMES” and “THE NEW YORK TIMES” [Term
paper]. University of Yangon.

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