Transitivity Processes in Joe Biden’s State of the Union Address Transcript

Based on transitivity system in Halliday and Matthiessen’s systemic functional grammar
(2004), this paper aims to identify and realize transitivity processes found in clauses of
American president Joe Biden’s State of the Union address transcript. The study used
qualitative content analysis by Hsieh and Shannon (2005) as data analysis. The data for
this study were taken from online website www.whitehouse.gov owned by the United
States government. The data was analyzed by reading, arranging, identifying and
interpreting patterns transitivity processes. According to the data analysis, six transitivity
processes are found in the State of the Union address transcript by Joe Biden. Researcher
took 226 clauses out of 498 clauses found in address transcript. Material process, 130
clauses with total 57.5 %. Relational process, 53 clauses with total 23.5%. Mental process,
22 clauses with total 9.8%. Verbal process, 17 clauses with total 7.6%. Existential and
behavioral are last with 2 clauses in total 0.8% which make them insignificant. The
researcher discovered that president Joe Biden used material processes frequently than
other process is indicating that he portraying situations, administration policies. He
addressing the unity, loyalty, nationalism as a wise and caring president of the United
States through State of the Union address on March 1, 2022.