Corpus-Assisted Analysis of Lexical and Grammatical Features in ESL Students’ Argumentative Essays

Abstract

Argumentative writing requires ESL learners to balance clear reasoning with precise vocabulary and grammatical accuracy. This multi-layered task remains a major hurdle in language acquisition. While vocabulary and grammar are widely recognised as twin pillars of effective argumentation, research rarely examines how they interact within a single learner corpus, particularly among Malaysian ESL writers. Addressing this gap, this study uses a corpus-assisted approach to analyse the combined lexical and grammatical profiles of undergraduate argumentative essays from Universiti Teknologi MARA (UiTM). The dataset comprises 24 prompt-controlled essays (7,429 tokens) ranging between 300 and 350 words. Using TagAnt for part-of-speech tagging and AntConc for frequency distribution, collocation, and wordlist analysis, the study mapped key linguistic patterns across the texts. Lexically, students relied heavily on general nouns for core concepts, evaluative adjectives to express stance and comparison, and common verbs to frame actions and opinions. Grammatically, nouns (25.91%) and verbs (18.83%) dominated the text structure, supplemented by conjunctions, adjectives, adverbs, determiners, infinitival to, and personal pronouns to establish clausal connections and maintain coherence. These patterns highlight how vocabulary and syntax work in tandem to construct persuasive arguments, offering a nuanced view of Malaysian ESL writing that extends beyond conventional rubric scoring or error counting. The paper concludes with practical teaching strategies and directions for expanding corpus research in broader learner contexts.