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An Analysis of Obamas Speech Ending Iraq War, February 27, 2009 :

A Halladian Approach
Samina Naz
MPhil Candidate
Institute of English and Modern Languages
Government College University Faisalabad, Pakistan
Sofia Dildar Alvi
Lecturer in English
Government College University Faisalabad, Pakistan
Abdul Baseer
Lecturer in English (Linguistics)
Government College University Faisalabad, Pakistan
This paper is based upon an MPhil thesis

Abstract
The present study is an attempt to investigate the linguistic choices made by Barack Obama in his
famous speech Ending Iraq War, February 27, 2009 after being elected the president of USA in
2009. Obamas linguistic twist has been investigated through Hallidays model of Transitivity.
The study suggests that Barack Obama is adroit in using persuasive discourse. Transitivity works
at clause level and interprets the ideational functions of language through participants, process
types and circumstances. The results of the study represent that Obama has used more material
clauses of action to intensify the need of American military action in Iraq. He has also used
mental clauses to touch the emotional side of the audience. Relational Attributive processes have
been employed to create a sense of relativity and authenticity. It appears that Obama is more
concerned with the use of circumstance of spatial and temporal locations to make his account
objective, trustworthy and authentic.

Keywords: Political Discourse, Barack Obama, Transitivity, M.A.K Halliday, Linguistic

Twist.

Introduction
Language is a tool to express views and notions. Most of the politicians use language to spread a
specific ideology. It is valuable to study political language as an occupation because it facilitates
to make us understand that how language is used by them to exercise power on the people
(Beard, 2000). Hallidays Functional Grammar is a tool to explore the specific type of linguistic
choices that are used for some specific purposes. Systemic Functional Grammar deals with three
major functions i.e. Ideational, interpersonal and textual. Ideational functions allow the user to
convey the meanings with an understanding of the context, community and material world.
Interpersonal functions of language illustrate the connection between the sender and the receiver
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through different angles, while textual functions refer to the internal formation and association of
a text. Transitivity belongs to the Ideational function of language, which contracts with process
types and each process type has its specific set of participants.
Transitivity system fits into the experiential metafunction of language and explores the variation
of experience. It works within clause level and each clause determines its following components:
Process Types
Participants
Circumstances
These three essentials can be acknowledged in a clause as follows:
Verbal clauses determine the process types
Nominal groups determine the participants
Prepositional phrases determine the circumstances.
Halliday suggested six types of processes and Martin, Matthiessen and Painter (1997) elaborated
them in detail in their book Working with Functional Grammar. They further describe them
and specify their participants as follow:

1) Material Process Types

These process types are concerned with the sense of doing and having something. Its
essential participants are actor and goal. Actor is a person who is the actor or subject of
any action or event while goal is that entity who receives the action.

2) Mental Process Types

These process types are concerned with the sense of thoughts, observations and
sentiments. Its innate participants are senser and phenomenon. Senser is an entity who
involves in mental process of sensing while phenomenon is that entity which is being
sensed.

3) Relational Process Types

These process types are concerned with the sense of being. Its two modes attributive and
identifying have two participants. Carrier and attribute for first mode and token and value
for the second one.

4) Behavioural Process Types

These process types are concerned with the outer reflection of our inward
thoughts and bahaver is its inherent participant.

5) Verbal Process Types

These process types are concerned with the process of saying something. sayer is the
principal participant who involves in the process of saying while receiver is that person
who is listener and as for as verbiage is concerned the content of saying is verbiage.

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6) Existential Process Types

These process types are concerned with the sense of presence of something in any shape.
It awards the process of being. Its innate participant is Existent.

Transitivity system also deals with circumstances. The essentials of circumstance are of
location and extent in respect of time and space; manner in respect of means, comparison and
quality (Martin et.al 1997).

Previous Study
Systemic functional grammar as a tool can be used in every genre of language to unveil the
hidden meaning of language. In the field of literature Gallardo (2006) used it as a tool on George
Bernard Shaws novel Pygmalion. He investigated that male and female character in the novel
use language differently that represent their distinguished traits. Further he concluded that male
characters use those process types, which have some clear goal while female characters involve
in emotional linguistic choices. Rodriguez (2006) applied Systemic Functional Grammar on the
language of newspaper. He points out that media language is researchable because some specific
ideology is being spread through it and his research probes out that form and function present a
substitute role according to the circumstances while advocating an agenda in a related societal
context. Travel broachers are used not only for the sake of information but also for mind
mapping. Jie (2006) has fond out through the use of Systemic Functional Grammar that so many
linguistic choices are deliberately made to promote a specific culture and its norms. Peter (2008)
investigated that in print media deliberate linguistic choices are common and his research pointed
out that excessive use of material processes enhance and elaborate the actions of a specific party.
Hernandez (2008) did a worth mentioning research in the field of SFG. Her research was on
Gibralter society and the text was taken when referendum was being held in November 2002.
The findings of the research prove that Gibralter was depicted as passive nation. Their actions are
given in intransitive form and they dont touch any goal. Anderson (2010) conducted a research
on the novel of Kate Chopin and investigated the character of heroin named Edna through
Transitivity systems. The research points out that at first she was not mature and then she gained
maturity. The more she attained maturity the higher she used mental processes that depicted her
mature senses. Feng & Lius (2010) research on American president Barack Obama is worth
mentioning. Systemic Functional Grammars modal is used for analysis. Through the use of
interpersonal functions of language much attention is paid on auxiliary, personal pronoun and
mood. Their focus was on tense shift and on pronouns and their research concluded that Obama
is fully conscious about his language expressions to spread his ideology. Another research has
been conducted by Alvi and Baseer (2011a) on Barack Obamas five selected speeches he
delivered before his election campaign till 2008. The study analyses his speeches through
Aristotles model of rhetoric and explores the use and effect of Obamas rhetorical devices
through which he won the hearts of millions of Americans. The study concentrates on the use of
Obamas specific transitivity choices in these speeches, hence it explores the effect of the use of
classical/Aristotalian rhetorical tools by employing present-day scientific model taken from
Hallidays SFG. Alvi and Baseer (2011 b) in a paper opine that Obamas use of linguistic spin
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and rhetorical devices is deliberate and fits to his purposes. Alvi and Baseer (2011c) wrote
another paper on Barack Obama. This paper explores his art of linguistic twist in his three
speeches delivered between October, 2002 to February, 2008. His linguistic spin has been
examined through the model of transitivity choices. The results show that he makes use of
material processes of action and event and mental processes of affection to motivate the minds of
people in his favour. Baseer and Alvi (2012) explored Obamas speech The Great Need of the
Hour delivered in 2008. As analytical tools they utilized Aristotles three-stage model of
rhetoric, and Hallidays model of transitivity. Their findings are that Obama uses the elements of
Ethos and Pathos in this speech more frequently.

Methodology
This is a descriptive type of research and quantitative methods are used to tabulate and
represent the data in the form of figures for objectivity while qualitative methods are used for indepth analysis and interpretation. Systemic Functional Grammars model composed by Martin,
Matthiessen and Painter (1997) Working with Functional Grammar grounded on Introduction
to Functional Grammar by M.A.K Halliday (1994) has been taken for the analysis. Transitivity
system of Systemic Functional Grammar has been adopted for analysis on clause level. This
paper investigates and interprets the ideational function of language. The text of the speech has
been taken from the official website of American President Barack Obama
(www.whitehouse.gov). The paragraphs of the speech have been numbered, and the selected
paragraphs have been analyzed by applying Transitivity system.

Analysis and Interpretation

Paragraph 1
Consider the sentence: Next month will mark the sixth anniversary of the war in Iraq. The
starting of the speech represents single verbal group having material process of action followed
by spatial location of circumstance Iraq and a temporal location of circumstance Next month.
Such transitivity choices represent Obama as an active leader who believes in the inevitability of
concrete action. See the next sentence : By any measures this has already been a long war.
Circumstance of contingency at the very start of the sentence By any measure gives more
worth to the relational attributive process type. This type of structure gives a clue to the
intentions of the speaker that he wants to represent some attributes of the present situation in
Iraq. The next sentence ,for the men and women of Americas armed forcesand for your
families this war has been one of the most extraordinary chapters of service in the history of our
nation, shows the unconventional structure of the sentence and points out the intentions of the
speaker that he shuns all language formalities for the sake of his strategy to get the audience into
confidence. His sentence, you have endured tour after tour after tour of duty, represents
material process of event while the repetition of tour after tour after tour enhances the
functions of armed men and this is deliberate expression. And, you have known the dangers of
combat and the lonely distance of loved ones This verbal group has mental process of
perception, known through which he touches the emotional side of the audience. And, you
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have fought against tyranny and disorder, has material process of action, fought, and a clearcut goal tyranny and disorder which depicts the appreciations of the president to the armed
forces. And, you have bled for your best friends and for unknown Iraqis. This sentence has
single independent clause having material process of action bled. You is actor while best
friends and unknown Iraqis are client type of beneficiary presenting the speakers appreciations
of Iraqi soldiers. Next sentence, and you have borne an enormous burden for your fellow
citizens, while extending a precious opportunity to the people of Iraq, has two verbal groups
having one independent and one subordinate non-finite clause depicting material processes of
event and action respectively. For your fellow citizen is client type of beneficiary, Iraq is
spatial location of circumstance. This non-finite sentence structure is deliberate which shows
Obamas intention to minimize the responsibilities of American forces towards Iraqi people. See
his sentence : Under tough circumstances, the men and women of the United States military
have served with honor, and succeeded beyond any expectation. The sense of parallelism is
found in this sentence having two clauses both have material processes of action and event.
Under tough circumstances is the circumstance of contingency-condition, United States is a
spatial location of circumstance, with honor is a circumstance of quality, while in second
clause beyond any expectation is a circumstance of contingency-condition. The parallel
structure is deliberate effort for the sake of accuracy and appraisals. See his sentence : Today, I
have come to speak to you about how the war in Iraq will end. This short sentence has two
clauses. First clause is infinitive and starts with the temporal location of circumstance, today
having verbal process type followed by the relative clause having relational attributive process
type and a circumstance of spatial location Iraq. The transitivity choices here fully support the
speaker that he is going to disclose the topic or purpose of his speech after getting their
confidence.

Paragraph 2
Consider the sentence : Today I can announce that our review is complete, and that the United
States will pursue a new strategy to end the war in Iraq through a transition to full Iraqi
responsibility. This paragraph contains single sentence having four verbal clauses. First clause
starts with the temporal location of circumstance today having verbal process type followed by
relative subordinate clause that has relational attributive process. Next unconventional clause
starts with a conjunction and, and it creates a link between the verbal groups. It has material
process of action. Last clause is subordinate infinitive clause having material process of action.
Iraq is spatial location of circumstance, Through a transition to full Iraqi responsibility is a
circumstance of means in manner. The transitivity choices made by Obama are fit to his purpose
that elaborate the actions of the forces then describe their attributes and qualities through
relational processes and makes them authentic through circumstances.

Paragraph 3
Consider: This strategy is grounded in a clear and achievable goal shared by the Iraqi people
and the American people: an Iraq that is sovereign, stable and self reliant. This sentence
contains three verbal groups. The principal clause has relational attributive process followed by a
subordinate non-finite clause. Its process is material action again followed by another
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subordinate clause having relational attributive process type. This structure mainly focuses on the
mind capturing technique in which Obama deliberately presents some attributes and qualities of
his strategy on Iraq war. The next sentence ,to achieve that goal, we will work to promote an
Iraqi government that is just, representative, and accountable, and that provides neither support
nor safe heaven to terrorists, is an unconventional sentence starts with the subordinate infinitive
clause having material process of action. Second clause is the main clause of the sentence again
having material process of action in which we is actor while Iraqi government is the goal.
Next verbal group is the subordinate clause of the previous one having relational attributive
process type. That is the determiner who stands as a carrier of the attribute. Last clause has
material process of action having recipient type of beneficiary, Terrorists. The combination of
material and relational process is deliberate use of transitivity choices to appreciate the actions.
In his sentence, we will help Iraq build new ties of trade and commerce with the world, we see
single verbal group having material process of action. We represents action and new ties of
trade and commerce is the goal followed by with the world a circumstance of commutative
accompaniment which delineates linguistic choices to promote the sense of actions that are
essential for Iraq war. The elliption of In before build and ing in build is deliberate
expression and for the sake of economy of words. This type of expression is purely the part of
political language. See: And we will forge a partnership with the people and government of Iraq
that contributes to the peace and security of the region. The sentence has two verbal groups, first
is the main clause of the sentence having material process of action followed by another
subordinate infinitive clause representing material process of action again. With the people and
government is the circumstance of commutative accompaniment. Iraq is spatial location of
circumstance which spreads the idea that Obamas government has done many achievements
regarding Iraq and for the whole region.

Paragraph 4
In the sentence, the first part of this strategy is therefore the responsible removal of our combate
brigades from Iraq, Obama has presented a single idea in a paragraph having single sentence. It
is a unique linguistic choice. The sentence has single verbal group and its process is relational
attributive. The first part of this strategy is carrier and Iraq is the spatial location of
circumstance. The sense of parallelism is found in this sentence that gives more weightage to the
ideology that he wants to extend.

Paragraph 5
See the sentence: There will be more danger in the months ahead. This sentence starts with
single verbal group having existential process type. More danger is existent and months
ahead is the temporal location of circumstance. The process type here helps the speaker to
present his point of view that people must be ready for the future hardships because existential
process gives a clue as a prediction and he prepares the audience mentally for the future
adversity. We will face new tests and unforeseen trials is a simple sentence having single
verbal group which construes material process of action. We is actor participant and new tests
and unforeseen trial is the goal participant which represents the future dangers and hardships
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that the people of America will have to face, as the continuity of material actions seems
necessary to cope with future challenges.
But thanks to the sacrifices of those who have served, we have forged hard-earned progress, we
are leaving Iraq to its people, and we have begun the work of ending this war is a long sentence
which has five verbal groups. First clause is the main clause starting with the coordinating
conjunction but and has behavioural process thanks. Second clause is the Wh relative
clause showing the material process of action served. Third clause again has material process
of action forged. Fourth clause again owns material process of action leaving. Iraq is goal
participant and people is the recipient type of beneficiary. Last verbal group is the relative
clause which starts with the coordinating conjunction and that helps to relate its idea to the
previous one. Its process is material action. We is actor participant and the work of ending
this war is goal participant. This is the last sentence of Obamas speech which reveals the fact
that he is fully conscious about the linguistic selections, and appropriately got the confidence of
the audience. This specific sentence is long and sums up the whole speech and the speakers
viewpoint through different material, relational attributive and behavioural process types.

Conclusion
The analysis comes up with the following results showing that Obama has used more Material
process types than any other one. The frequency of material process of action is 18 and that of
event is 03. Also, relational attributive process type is used more than any other processes having
08 occurrences. Other process types have minimized their role under the influence of material
and relational attributive process types. As for as circumstances are concerned, the circumstance
of location is used 10 times which is frequent than any other type. The occurrences of
contingencies are 03, while of matter and accompaniment are 02 for each. Both cause and
manner have 01 occurrence for each. See the tables:

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Table 1: Process types and their approximate frequency in analyzed paragraphs

Process type

Subcategory

Frequency

Material

Action
Event
Perception
Attributive

18
03
01
08
01
01
01

Mental
Relational
Verbal
Behavioural
Existential

Graphical representation of Process Types

25

1.2

20

1
0.8

15
0.6

Column 1

10
0.4

l
en
tia
is
t
ex

vi
o

ur
a

l
be
ha

el
R

rv
er
ba

at
io
n

al
M

en
t

l
ria
at
e
M

0.2

al

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Table 2: Circumstances and their approximate frequency in the analyzed paragraphs.

Circumstances
Subcategory
Frequency
Location
Temporal
04
Spatial
06
Cause
01
Contingency
03
Matter
02
Accompaniment
02
Manner
01
Graphical representation of Circumstances
12

1.2

10

0.4

0.2

en
t
pa
ni
m

at
te

Ac
co
m

Co
nt
in

Column 1

an
ne
r

0.6

ge
nc
y

Ca
us
e

0.8

Lo
ca
t io
n

The excessive use of material process types suggest that Obama has skillfully used the art of
linguistic twist to get confidence of the audience by appreciating their deeds first and then to
stimulate them for future actions in Iraq. The use of relational clauses gives his ideas more power
and weightage. By using circumstances of spatial and temporal location frequently he makes his
viewpoint authentic and objective and increases his prestige in the eyes of the masses as a true
and selfless leader.

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