TITLE:
Transitivity and the Construction of Political Authority: A Systemic Functional Analysis of Boris Johnson’s 2019 Inaugural Address
AUTHORS:
Jian Han
KEYWORDS:
Transitivity, Systemic Functional Grammar, Political Discourse, Brexit, Boris Johnson
JOURNAL NAME:
Open Access Library Journal,
Vol.13 No.4,
April
1,
2026
ABSTRACT: This study examines Boris Johnson’s inaugural address delivered on 24 July 2019 through the lens of transitivity within the framework of Systemic Functional Grammar. Situated at a critical stage of the Brexit process, the speech provides an analytically significant case for exploring how linguistic resources construct political authority during institutional transition. By combining quantitative analysis of process-type distribution with qualitative clause-level interpretation, this study identifies material processes as the dominant pattern, followed by relational processes, with mental, behavioural, verbal and existential processes occurring less frequently. The prominence of material clauses underscores the action-oriented nature of the address, particularly in its framing of Brexit and domestic reform. Relational and existential constructions contribute to the stabilization of political identity and institutional responsibility, while mental and verbal processes reinforce conviction and public commitment. The findings suggest that transitivity patterns are closely aligned with the communicative demands of the political moment, revealing how experiential meaning contributes to the projection of leadership, urgency and collective positioning in contemporary British political discourse.