Negation in thesis and dissertation abstracts by English, Chinese, and Iranian writers from a cross-cultural perspective

The effective use of negation is a critical yet challenging aspect of academic writing, as it influences the clarity and persuasiveness of arguments. Despite its rhetorical importance and the potential impact of sociocultural factors on its usage, cross-cultural variations in the use of negative markers in theses and dissertations-particularly in abstracts, remain underexplored. Abstracts serve as a key persuasive genre, engaging readers by summarizing research findings and their significance. This study addresses this gap by examining how negative markers are used in English abstracts produced by postgraduate students from English-speaking, Chinese, and Iranian academic contexts. A corpus of 300 abstracts was analyzed using a corpus-based approach grounded in an interpersonal model of negation. Quantitative analyses, including descriptive statistics and log-likelihood testing, revealed both shared and distinct patterns across groups. Commonly used markers included “not,” “no,” “little,” and “few,” while markers such as “nowhere” and “nobody” were absent. Notable differences emerged: Iranian students showed more use of “no”, particularly as a consequence marker; English students employed affective negation more frequently; English and Chinese students diverged in their use of “little.” These findings underscore the influence of cultural and linguistic backgrounds on the rhetorical deployment of negation in academic writing. The study advocates for targeted pedagogical strategies in English for Academic Purposes programs that explicitly address the rhetorical functions of negation. Such strategies can improve L2 students’ writing quality, enhance nuanced expression, and reduce pragmatic miscommunication, thereby better preparing students for successful academic communication in diverse English-medium contexts.