A Transitivity Analysis Of Rishi Sunak’s War On Terror Speeches

Raisa, Tanjia Ayesha Noori (2025) A Transitivity Analysis Of Rishi Sunak’s War On Terror Speeches. S1 thesis, Universitas Andalas.

Abstract

Through grammatical choices, language can transform experience into meaning, especially in political discourse. Systemic Functional Linguistics analyzes the entanglement between language and meaning and provides a framework for understanding how political leaders construct their messages. SFL argues that the meaning of experience can be investigated through a transitivity structure consisting of Process, Participant, and Circumstance. This study analyzes the transitivity of three of Rishi Sunak's speeches on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. The data came from YouTube videos of Sunak's statements on international security issues, transcribed and analyzed using Halliday's transitivity framework. All speeches were researched in their original form and delivered in English. The results show that Sunak predominantly uses material Process (44.97%) and Actor as Participant (18.89%) elements, and Location as the dominant Circumstantial element (42.16%). This attests to his tendency to express Britain's political stance through concrete actions rather than abstract statements. The emphasis on material processes evidences a planned strategy to present UK support as a real and direct ally, rather than simply rhetoric. This preference for action-oriented language is driven by the need to display a strong commitment in response to international conflicts, positioning the UK as an active rather than passive ally of Israel.

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