Submitted by: Tauba Zia

Roll no: 23011702-008

Course title: Advanced research methodology

Department: English

Submitted to: Musarat Yasmin Alvi

Date: 12-01-2024
Transitivity analysis of news article on cypher case (Imran Khan)
from dawn news:
Abstract:
The purpose of this study is to do the transitivity analysis of Dawn news article on
cypher case of Imran khan. This research focuses on examining the frequency of the
processes; material, mental, behavioral, verbal, relational and existential. This
research also focuses on how transitivity model helps to uncover the power relations
and manipulation behind the text. The qualitative research methodolgy has been used
for this research. The data for this research were collected from 29 clauses of the
dawn news article. The findings indicate that all the five process material, mental,
verbal, relational and existential play a significant role in the news article. Notably,
the verbal process is predominantly used in the news article for shaping the naratives,
manipulating people’s mind and influencing public opinion.
Keywords: SFL, transitivity analysis, cypher case, power relations.
Introduction:
Language is a tool that we use to communicate. Language helps to convey the
intended meaning of communication by making lexico-grammatical choices.
Language helps to express our opinions, thoughts, actions and behaviors. Language
play a multifaceted role in shaping the narratives, manipulating people's mind,
influencing public opinion and ensuring effective communication. Media and
newspaper also use language to manipulate people's mind, in shaping the narrative
and in influencing public opinion. In relation to the meaning and idea conveyed
through the media and news, makes a connection between media and language. For
the analysis of data, Halliday’s transitivity framework is best suited. Transitivity play
an important role in showing how the speakers encode in language their mental
picture of reality and how they account for their experience of the world around them.
Systemic functional linguistics:
Current research focuses on analyzing the news article on “cypher case” of Imran
khan using the transitivity model of systemic functional linguistics by Halliday.
Transitivity in systemic functional linguistics(SFL) is proposed by M.A.K
Halliday(2004) who said that our most powerful conception of reality consists of
goings-on, feeling, being, doing, happening and becoming. Halliday said that
language has three types of meta-functions. These three meta-functions are (1)
ideational, (2)interpersonal and (3)textual. In ideational meta-function, language
presents patterns of experience of world and it enables human beings to create a
mental picture of reality and to make sense of what is going on around them and what
is going on inside their mind. This experiential(ideational) meta-function is called
transitivity. Transitivity deals with different types of processes that can be found in
language and in sentence structure. Transitivity system or Processes helps us to
express our experience of the world. Thus, Halliday divides the system of transitivity
or process types into six processes, (1) material, (2)mental, (3)verbal, (4)behavioral
(5) relational and (6) existential. These processes consists of process, participants and
circumstances.
With the help of transitivity, we can do the analysis of both the literary and non
literary text to dig out the truth and the constructive meaning of the text. For instance,
we can do the transitivity analysis of some short stories, speeches , newspapers,
articles and other form of texts. Transitivity analysis helps us to find out how the
writers present the certain characters and issues in their work and it also helps us to
identify how language is used to influence people and bring group ideologies. In this
article, the transitivity analysis would be applied on news paper article on “cypher
case”: Imran Khan. Imran Ahmed khan Niazi was a former prime minister of Pakistan
who served as 22nd prime minister from August 2018 until April 2022 who have done
significant work for Pakistan and for the youth. He has been charged for using cypher
and for compromising national security and relations.
Introduction of “cypher case”:
Cypher is a message written in a secret code. Spies during world-war II sometimes
communicated using cypher. People on secret mission can use secret codes for
sending messages and communication. It will take time to decode the message and
understand the message If you use a cypher to send your friend a message, it may
take her a while to figure out what are you trying to tell her. There is one cypher case
in Pakistan, in which former prime minister Imran Khan and former foreign minister
Shah Mahmood Qureshi has been charged legally and sent to the jail. The charges on
prime minister Imran Khan said that Imran waving a confidential document before a
crowd on march 27, 2022 and both Imran khan and Qureshi using cypher to
compromise national security and relations. That will harm country’s relations and
security. But in the end both the PTI leaders pleaded not guilty.
Literature review:
The purpose of the term discourse is not only to study the language but it especially
focuses on the way how individuals use language in real life situation to achieve
certain goals or specific purpose such as persuading, enticing, stimulating or arguing
in order to express their identities. It is well said that changing color is the face of life.
There are certain things that are responsible for the change within the society.
Discourse itself is the big factor that bring the change within the society. The term
discourse not only focuses on written and spoken language but it has broader sense, it
encompasses the entire interactive process within the society. It involves the way
people communicate or interact influence by the social and cognitive factors.
Discourse analysis does not only focuses on the language but also considers broader
societal concepts including evaluation and change(Bloor & Bloor, 2013; Fairclough,
2001).Halliday, Matthiessen, and Halliday (2014)argues that if he emerged as an
expert on grammar, then it did not mean that he had changed his mind regarding the
issue rather the issue itself has been changed drastically. The prevailing point is
related to “discourse analysis.” Sometimes, it is supposed that grammar doesn’t play a
central role to carry out discourse. In fact, such supposition is nothing other than a just
tentative notion. In short, a discourse without based on grammar is just a textual
commentary. News articles also hold a discourse behind the text and that discourse
can change people’s perspective regarding legal preceding.
The term SFG stands for “systemic functional grammar”. The concepts of (SFG) is
just like the multi-functionality or dimensionality of clauses, structures of grammar
intertwined through the forceful flow of communicative functions as well as various
activities of interaction among the individuals while planning and patterning in the
walk of daily life (Eggins, 2004). Wang (2010)states, “Systemic Functional
Grammar” of Halliday consisted of “Three Meta-functions such as ideational,
interpersonal as well as textual.” Ideational Function regulates the essence realization
as well as the meaning of accessible choices. According to Downing and Locke
(2006), the ideational meta-function “permits us to encode, both semantically and
syntactically or mental picture of the physical world and the world of our
imagination.” It consists of both transitivity and modality analyses. The transitivity
analysis consists of six processes, material, behavioral, mental, verbal, relational and
existential while modality analysis includes modal verb, tenses and personal pronoun.
Interpersonal function shows strong ties between the person and society using
discourse. It also determines all the processes by which the speaker tries to plunge
into a situation of speech to demonstrate speech acts. However, the textual function
accomplishes the needs of a discourse being related to the real situational context
having entire texture.

Figure: Conceptual framework of study

This figure shows the conceptual framework of study. This figure shows that a clause
consists of three elements, process, participant and circumstances. Processes further
divided into six processes, three are the major ones and three are the minor ones. The
major ones are the material, mental and relational while the minor ones are the
behavioral, verbal and existential. These major and minor processes also have their
own small set of participants that have roles closely associated with its circumstances.
The material process consists of two participants. First participant is the doer that is
an actor and the second participant is done to that is goal. If the participant two is
affected by the action of the participant one then we call it goal otherwise we called it
range. Participant two is also mentioned as benificiary(the one benefiting from the
doing). In behavioral process, there are two participants, participant one is behavior
and the participant two is range. In mental process, there are also two participants in
mental process, participant one is sensor and participant two is called as phenomenon.
In verbal process, there are three participants, participant one is sayer, participant two
is verbiage and participant three is receiver. In relational process, there are four
participants, carrier, attribute, identifier and identified. In existential process, there is
only one participant and that is existent.
There are many researchers who have examined various facets of language in various
news articles using transitivity analysis. For instance, Afsheen Ekhteyar and Tariq
Umrani (2021) studied how ideology is constructed and different discursive features
used in print media for the representation of economical phenomenon of CPEC.
Yaghoobi (2009) studied two newspapers in-depth and analyze that in both news
articles, same characters were portrayed in conflicting ways by media and ideologies.
Muhammad Amir Abbas, Mubina Tallat(2019) studied three news articles, The
Nation, Dawn and The News, in-depth, and analyze the word choices used in the
headlines of Pakistani English newspaper, news depicting crime against women. NKH
Lastari (2023) used transitivity pattern for showing that how different news articles
represented the full day school issue in Indonesia. Fahd Eid (2021) use transtivity
model for showing political intentions concealed by the news structures in the
selected news articles. W Ruobing (2020) also use the transitivity model for studying
the ideological tendency in American News report. AD Suparto (2018) use the
transitivity model in framing the online news articles and his studies shows that how
the difference in using processes, participants and circumstances creates different
perspectives of the writers. Polovina-Vukovic (2004) took media discourse as text and
used transitivity analysis for the identification of representation of social actors.
Material:
For the purpose of this research, the material is taken from one of the news article of
Dawn on cypher case, in which Imran Khan and Mahmood Qureshi charged for using
cypher and harming national security and relations. News article claim that both the
former prime minister and former foreign minister Imran Khan and Mahmood
Qureshi waving confidential document before a crowd on March 27, 2022. But
Qureshi denied the charge put against him and he also claimed that the cypher was not
sent to him when he was foreign minister. Qamar Jawed Bajwa also played an
important role in the news article. Qamar Jawed Bajwa is the former chief of army
staff of Pakistan. News article also claimed that Imran Khan asked the judge to put the
charges against Qamar Jawad Bajwa for making a plan to topple his government. But
the judge reminded him to watch his words. Both the families of Mr Imran Khan and
Mr Qureshi have their significant role in the news. At the end, all the allegations
against Imran khan regarding Cypher case proved wrong but he was sent to jail for the
allegations of misuse of authority to acquire Toshakhana gifts.
Theoretical framework:
For the analysis of the news article from Dawn news on “cypher case Imra Khan”, the
transitivity model in systemic functional linguistics, given by Halliday is utilized for
the identification of how the news article uncover the manipulation, power relation,
intentions and implications within the narrative. Transitivity pattern has been used for
unraveling the differences and variations of the legal and political dynamics.
Halliday’s transitivity model is best suited for the identification of processes ,
participant roles and circumstances of given clauses. By examining the processes,
participants, and circumstances, SFL enables a detailed exploration of how language
is used to construct meaning, how language is used to uncover the manipulation, how
language is used to uncover the power relations, and emphasizing the interpersonal
and experiential aspects of communication. The name of the participants vary
according to the processes, for instance, if the process of the clause is material then
the participants would be actor, goal and range. Similarly, the processes in the
transitivity model are separated into six main processes. These six main processes are
given below:
Process type Meaning Participants
1. Material process The process of doing and happening Actor, goal,
(go, come, give) range
2. Behavioral process Physiological and social processes behavior
3. Mental process Involves fives senses(think, touch, Sensor,
feel, hear, seeing) phenomenon
4. Verbal process Refer to the process of saying (said, Sayer, receiver,
tell, urge) verbiage,
addressee
5. Relational process Construe experience of being or Carrier, attribute,
becoming (be, become, has, own) identified,
identifier
6. Existential process Indicates the relationship of being existent
something. (there, exist, occur)
Table 1: Processes in the transitivity model of SFL
The participants involve who and what, which means that who is doing the action and
to whom the action has been done to or what the action has been doing. On the other
hand, circumstances involve what, where, when and why the action has done, for
instance, It gives the information about the time location, place , context and manner.
The examples of processes, participants and circumstances have pointed out from the
speech. These are given below:
Processes Participants:(underlined),process(bold),circumstances(italics)
1. Material Charge-sheet(actor) accused Mr Khan(goal) of waving a
 process confidential document before a crowd on March 27, 2022.
2. Behavioral There is no behavioral process.
process
3. Mental process Mr. Qureshi(sensor) claiming that the cypher was not sent to
him(phenomenon).
4. Verbal process Mr Khan(sayer) asked the judge(addressee) to frame charges
against then-army chief Qamar Javed Bajwa (receiver).
5. Relational If this was indeed an open trial.
process
6. Existential Neither I nor the lawyers present witnessed any formal framing
of charges.
process
Table 2: Examples of transitivity analysis from the Dawn News article
Significance of the study:
This study is highly significant in understanding how language is used by media to
uncover manipulation, power relations, intentions and implications within the
narrative. It also helps us to understand how language is used in text to influence
public opinions, especially in high profile legal cases. The study may be significant in
understanding and evaluating the fairness and transparency of legal procedure and
well they are understood by public. This study is significant in understanding how the
news is designed using different processes, participants and circumstances. This study
also helps us to understand how Imran Khan and Mahmood Qureshi portrayed in the
news.
Research questions:
1. Which process type is found dominant in the news article of Dawn on cypher case?
2. Uncover power relations, manipulative intentions and implications within the
narrative by using transitivity pattern.
Methodology:
This study adopts the qualitative research methodology for the discussion and analysis
of the news article. The sample for the study has been collected from the Dawn news
article on cypher case. The text contains a total of 29 clauses, including both
independent and dependent clauses. The text of the news article is divided into clauses
because transitivity model works at the clause level. After that frequency of the
processes has been calculated. After calculating the frequency of each process, power
relations and manipulation done by the participants uncovered by using transitivity
pattern.
Data analysis and discussion:
Process type Frequency Percentage
1 Material process 8 27.5%
.
2 Behavioral process 0 0%
.
3 Mental process 3 10.3%
.
4 Verbal process 14 48.2%
.
5 Relational process 2 6.8%
.
6 Existential process 2 6.8%
.
Total no. of processes 29% 100%
Table 3: Transitivity analysis of speech
This transitivity analysis of news article shows that the total number of clauses in the
news article are twenty nine in number so the processes in the news article are also
twenty nine in number. The six processes of transitivity model by Halliday have been
categorized and their frequencies and percentage are given in the table. The most
frequently used process and the dominant process out of these six processes is verbal
process whose frequency is 14 and percentage is 48.2%. The occurrence of other
processes are less in number as compared to verbal process. Their frequencies are
material (8) with the percentage of 27.5%, mental (3) with the percentage of 10.3%,
relational and existential processes occurred with the same frequency (2) and with the
percentage of 6.8%. Behavioral process has not occurred in the news article. These
processes occur with their significant meaning and purpose in the news article. Here
are some examples of different process given with discussion.
Example Process type Activity
Only four members of the Material Limited access for the press to cover the legal
press corps were allowed to process preceding inside the jail
cover Wednesday’s
proceedings inside
Rawalpindi’s Adiala Jail.
Sources said the charge-sheet Material Accusing Imran Khan for unraveling the
accused Mr Khan of waving process confidentail document.
a confidential document
before a crowd on March 27,
2022.
It also accused Mr Khan and Material Accusing Imran Khan and Qureshi for using
Mr Qureshi of using cipher process cypher and harming national security and
for vested interests and relations
jeopardising national security
and relations of Pakistan with
another country.
National Accountability Material NAB taking Mr. Khan into custody
Bureau (NAB) took Mr Khan process
into custody after an
accountability court of
Islamabad rejected his post-
arrest bail plea in a reference
for misuse of authority to
acquire Toshakhana gifts
Judge Mohammad Bashir Mental process Observing and forming a judgement against
observed that prima facie, Mr Imran Khan for taking gifts
Khan took the gifts from
Toshakhana in violation of
rules
Mr Qureshi claimed the Mental process Claiming that cypher was not sent to him.
cipher was not sent to him
when he was foreign minister
Mr Khan asked the judge to Verbal process Requesting the judge for fraimng charges
frame charges against then- against army chief and Donald Lu for making
army chief Qamar Javed plan to topple his government.
Bajwa and US diplomate
Donald Lu for “hatching a
conspiracy to topple his
government”
Mr Qureshi’s daughter Meher Verbal process The role of Mr. Qureshi’s daughter in the
Bano said in a tweet she was news article
“amazed by the prosecution’s
claim”
The judge reminded him to Verbal process Reminding him to say the words carefully as
watch his words as he was he was sitting in the court
addressing the court, sources
said.
Both PTI leaders pleaded not Verbal process Pleaded not guilty
guilty.
The prosecutor said, the Verbal process Saying that the decision of judge would be
statement of the judge would treated as true
be treated as true.
If this was indeed an OPEN Relational Referring one thing with another
TRIAL there would be no process
such confusion,
Neither I nor the lawyers Existential Mentioning the existence of witnesses.
present witnessed any formal process
framing of charges
Table 4. Examples with their process and discussion
In the above table, different processes used in different sentences with their different
meanings. In the same way, processes participants and circumstances have been used
in the news article to uncover power relations and manipulations.
Power relations:
Participants included Imran Khan, Shah Mehmood Qureshi, Barrister Salman Safdar,
Judge Abdul Hasnat Zulqarnain, the prosecution and the NAB holds power. Power
dynamic that they hold are evident in their roles within the legal preceding. The legal
processes such as "indictment," "accusation," and "formal trial" reflect the power
dynamic between the accused and the judiciary. The judge holds the authority to
decide the legal fate of the accused. The circumstances surrounding the alleged
waving of a confidential document and the use of cipher implicate Imran Khan and
Qureshi in actions that potentially compromise national security. This narrative
reinforces the power dynamics by emphasizing the gravity of the charges.Imran
Khan's request to frame charges against Qamar Javed Bajwa and Donald Lu
introduces a power play, suggesting a conspiracy against his government. The judge's
caution indicates the sensitivity of implicating high-ranking officials. NAB's arrest of
Imran Khan following the court's decision highlights the power of law enforcement
agencies. The rejection of post-arrest bail emphasizes the judiciary's authority. All
these participants, processes and circumstances show power relations.
Manipulative intentions:
The use of persuasive language by Imran Khan's legal team, questioning the absence
of signed documents, aims to manipulate public perception and cast doubt on the
legitimacy of the charges. Accusing Imran Khan and Qureshi of jeopardizing national
security implies severe consequences, strategically influencing public opinion against
them. Imran's claim of a conspiracy implies that powerful figures are working against
him. This narrative serves to garner sympathy and portray him as a victim of political
devious schemes. Expressing amazement and confusion, especially through social
media, serves the intention of challenging the prosecution's narrative and shaping
public opinion in favor of the accused.he detailed explanation of the indictment
process aims to clarify the legal procedure, but the choice of language also influences
public understanding and perceptions. Throughout the narrative, there is a consistent
effort to shape public opinion, challenge the legitimacy of charges, and portray the
accused as victims of conspiracies and misuse of authority.
Conclusion:
This research has been carried out to analyze Dawn news article on cypher case of
Imran Khan, in the light of Halliday’s transitivity model of systemic function
linguistics. Transtivity analysis is applied on the Dawn news article in order to
understand the power relations and manipulation behind the text. This analysis helps
us to find out the frequency of six processes: material, mental, behavioral, verbal,
relational, and existential. This analysis shows that the power relations and
manipulation has been expressed in the news article mostly by verbal process. Verbal
process appears frequently for influencing public opinions regarding legal perceding.
Material process is also dominant in the news article. This research also highlight the
challenges in legal transparency, media access, and public perception.
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https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Imran_Khan
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