Help-Literature research sample-PhD Linguistics hopeful

[jinxedmimi]

Hello everybody!

I am a graduate in English Linguistics and Literature and want to pursue PhD in Linguistics. My problem is my sample essay... the best and only research sample I have is my MA thesis and its literature related. I do regret choosing literature as my research field as now I am genuinely interested in linguistics. What are my chances of getting in a good unv with the said research background while I do have the advantage of having half my degree in linguistics? I do not have any other sample essays and time is short to write one. Its not that I was uninterested in research but its just that it is not a practice in my country to write research essays during bachelors etc and there s only little focus on research in linguistics over here.

How can I go about explaining my research interest in linguistics in my SOP and reasons for changing directions? does my explanation really matter?

Would highly appreciate suggestions...

[languages-etc]

A few professors I spoke with said that your writing sample will be evaluated for your writing ability - i.e. the way you formulate ideas and research and organize them into a well-written paper. So it doesn't necessarily have to be about linguistics. If your writing sample is well-written and professional, an English literature topic is fine.

What you say in the SOP does make a big difference. You should clearly communicate that you understand what a PhD in Linguistics entails, and the reasons why you will be good at it.