Abstract

Abstract This paper focuses on descriptive analysis of a legal text and its translation. Specifically, it focuses the frequency and use of modal verb shall in legal text in English and its translation in Urdu. Ambiguity inherent in the meanings of English modal verbs and the way they are translated into Urdu, create many issues to be investigated. May, might, must, will, shall, should, would, can and could, nine modal verbs are commonly considered modal auxiliary verbs in English grammar. Legal Language is a register, it is formal language used by the social institution of Justice and Administration. Terms and expression are used in different ways in legal register than in simple English. Modal verbs make the pivot of the sense of whole of the sentence and the function of verb determines the function conveyed in a sentence. For the purpose of research, Punjab laws and their translation is accessed from the Punjab Codes. Variety in the meanings of modal verbs and their frequent occurrence in legal text invoke curiosity and research. Shall, generally a deontic/root modal is the most frequent of modals in legal text and is used in variety of meanings. Research also shows the important role played by these verbs in legal texts