ANALYSIS OF INTERPERSONAL METAFUNCTION IN PUBLIC SPEECHES: A

CASE STUDY OF NELSON MANDELA’S PRESIDENTIAL INAUGURATION SPEECH

Shakila Nur
Lecturer, Department of English, Faculty of Languages and Translation
King Khalid University, Abha, Saudi Arabia
Email: shnur@kku.edu.sa , dhaka.sns@gmail.com

Abstract

By analyzing Nelson Mandela’s presidential inauguration speech at Pretoria on May 10, 1994 ,
this paper tries to conceptualize how interpersonal metafunction within the theoretical framework
of Systemic Functional Grammar (SFG) (a form of grammatical description originated by
Michael Halliday) investigates into a language from a social semiotic approach. The analysis
involved differences in the distribution of mood, modality, personal pronoun and other lexical
features. The findings reveal that the architecture of Mandela’s speech achieved his political
purpose as well as fulfilled its interpersonal meaning not only by corresponding with its lexico-
grammmar but also by considering the contextual factors such as the need to reflect the economic
and socio-political situation of the country at that time.

1. Introduction: text as instrument, the grammarian will be asking

what the text reveals about the system of the
Speech in Public speaking is a communicative tool or language in which it is spoken or written. These two
text that is delivered verbally to a group of people in perspectives are clearly complementary: we cannot
a well-prepared, structured, deliberate manner explain why a text means what it does, with all the
intended to inform, influence, or entertain a listening various readings and values that may be given to it,
audience. In public speaking, as in any form of except by relating it to the linguistic system as a
communication, there are five basic elements, often whole; and equally, we cannot use it as a window on
expressed as "who is saying what to whom using the system unless we understand what it means and
what medium with what effects?" Reshaped by why‖. Here is the entrance of Interpersonal
functions and contents, political speech is also a kind Metafunction. This paper makes use of the
of text presented by concerned authorities. While inauguration speech of Nelson Mandela (1994) and
speaking, politicians do more than talk: they interact tries to explicate how interpersonal metafunction is
with language and employ it to express interpersonal being served here.
meanings. And thus a speech becomes a rich, multi-
faceted phenomenon that can be explored from many 2. Theoretical background:
different points of view. According to Halliday
(2006), a text can be visioned from two directions: by In the second half of the last century there emerged
focusing on the text as an object in its own right and an immensely influential view of what the study of
by focusing on the text as an instrument to reveal language should involve. The idea insists that there is
something else. To clarify this notion, Halliday only one proper place to start—from a view of
(2006) further illustrates that ―focusing on text as an language from an abstract set of generalized rules
object, a grammarian will be asking questions such detached from any particular context of use.
as: Why does the text mean what it does (to me, or to
anyone else)? Why is it valued as it is? Focusing on

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Being influenced by the work of different prominent 2.1 Metafunctions in Functional Grammar
schools of linguists, Halliday credited especially J.F.
Firth to whom he owed for ―the notion of language as Halliday developed four metafunctions, three of them
system‖ and later on B.L. Whorf who ―showed how it show up in the clause column except the last
is that human beings do not all mean alike, and how metafunction because it is not embodied in the clause
their unconscious ways of meaning are among the but in the clause complex-clauses linked together by
most significant manifestations of their culture". logicosemantic relations to form sequences (Halliday
These ideas underpinned Halliday’s functional and Matthiessen, 2004: 61). Those four
approach to grammar which in turn claimed that metafunctions are as follow:
language is a meaning potential. In other words, for
Halliday, grammar is described as systems not as
rules and language is inherently functional.

Table 1 Metafunctions and Their Reflexes in the Grammar (Halliday and Matthiessen, 2004: 61).

Metafunction Definition Corresponding Favored type of structure

status of clause
(Technical name) (Kind of meaning)
Experiential Construing a model of Clause as Segmental (based on
experience representation constituency)

Interpersonal Enacting social Clause as exchange Prosodic

relationships

Textual Creating relevance to Clause as message Culminative

context

Logical Construing logical __ Iterative

relations

Thompson (1996) summed the types of metafunction viewpoint on things in the world, and to elicit or
as: change theirs.

1) We use language to talk about our experience of 3) In using languages, we organize our messages in
the world, including the worlds in our own minds, to ways which indicate how they fit in with the other
describe events and states and the entities involved in messages around them and with the wider context in
them. which we are talking or writing.

2) We also use language to interact with other people, 4) In using languages, the clause complex-clauses
to establish and maintain relations with them, to linked together by logicosemantic relations to form
influence their behavior, to express our own sequences (Halliday and Matthiessen, 2004).

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2.2 Strands of Meaning: Ideational, interpersonal function for construing human experience which
and textual reflects the nature of the social process in which
(field) the language is implicated (the ideational
One of the most powerful aspects of the systemic function), the function for enacting humans' diverse
approach is that language is viewed as a source for and complex social relations which relates to a text's
making not only one meaning at a time, but several aspects of tenor or interactivity (the interpersonal
strands of meaning simultaneously. This notion of component), and the function for cohering the
SFL approach plays a role for Halliday to explain the internal organisation and communicative nature
meanings of a language in three different categories: which reflects the mode of a text (the textual
filed, tenor and mode. Equaling to that, Halliday function). Each of the grammatical systems proposed
(2000) claims language is metafunctionally by Halliday is related to these metafunctions. The
organized. In other words, he argues that all three strands of meaning are summarized and
languages have three broad metafunctions: the exemplified as follow:
Table 2: Types of Meanings in the Systemic Model (Eggins & Slade, 1997: 49)

Types of Gloss/definition Example

meaning

Ideational Meaning about the world, representation of reality (e.g. Conversation, expressions;
topics, subject matter)
the French language: cigarettes

Interpersonal Meanings about roles and relationships (e.g. status, Conflictual relationship, Supportive
intimacy, contact, sharedness between interactants) relationship,Provoking talk, assertive, less
assertive

Textual Meanings about the message (e.g. foregrounding/ Rapid turn-taking: cohesion through ellipsis
salience; types of cohesion) and reference; foregrounding of expression/
idioms

2.3 The interpersonal metafunction: communication (Halliday, 2002). The interpersonal

metafunction comprehends a text's tenor or
―Interpersonally, the grammar is not a theory but a interactivity which is again comprised with three
way of doing; it is our construction of social components: the speaker/writer persona (whether the
relationships, both those that define society and our writer or speaker has a neutral attitude, which can be
own place in it, and those that pertain to the seen through the use of positive or negative
immediate dialogic situation. This constitutes the language) social distance (how close the speakers
―interpersonal‖ metafunction, whereby language are), and relative social status (whether they are equal
constructs our social collective and, thereby, our in terms of power and knowledge on a subject) and
personal being‖ (Halliday & Matthiessen, 1999). In here the last two are applicable only to spoken texts,
other words, the interpersonal functions play the role although a case has been made that these two factors
of setting up and maintaining social relations, and can also apply to written text. Focuses here are on
indicate the roles of the participants in the speech acts (e.g. whether one person tends to ask

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questions and the other speaker tends to answer), who 4. The Interpersonal metafunction analysis
chooses the topic, turn management, and how capable of Mandela’s presidential inauguration
both speakers are of evaluating the subject. speech:

3. Nelson Mandela’s presidential The Interpersonal Metafunction of a speech not

inauguration speech: only refers to the way speakers and audiences
interact, the language use to establish and
In his long history Nelson Mandela (1918-2013) has maintain the relations among them, but also
made many speeches on many occasions. Some of means to influence their behaviors, to express
these Mandela speeches have been compiled into our opinions about the world around us. To serve
books, and many things Mandela has said in his this, the Interpersonal Metafunction, claimed by
speeches have become famous quotes. As with the Halliday (2009) mainly focuses on the relation
man himself a Mandela speech is usually well between the role of speakers and the role of
constructed, well thought out and packed with audience, mood and modality. Later he added
intelligence and meaning. Mandela’s presidential pronoun system, rhythmic features of words that
inauguration speech of 1994 also bears the same work as attitudinal modifiers. To enable readers
hallmark. The end of a long struggle and the to understand the weight of Mandela’s speech as
beginnings of shining hope are what really came an effective discourse for its own purpose, the
through. The ANC had struggled so long to make following analysis has been done from the
democracy in South Africa a reality. Mandela himself perspective of the Interpersonal Metafunction by
went through 27 years of imprisonment. Now here he analyzing its use of Mood, Modality and
and his country stood "Free at last". To mark this Pronoun and other lexical features.
history Nelson Mandela’s inaugural speech as a
president given at Pretoria on May 10 will be ever 4.1 Mood:
remembered by the people. His speeches give an
insight into the long struggle for democracy and into Language involves interactions where we initiate
his beliefs about humanity. To understand who or respond to the act of giving (and taking) or
Nelson Mandela is and what he has meant to his demanding (and being given). Giving refers to
country and the world it is worth reading his speeches the speaker who is giving something to the
and at least his autobiography. This leader of power listener or the speaker is inviting the listener to
and vision has much to share with us all. Perhaps receive. Demanding refers to the speaker who is
starting with the Mandela inauguration is a bit like requiring something from the listener or the
reading a book backwards, but it doesn't really matter speaker is asking the listener to give. In other
where we start with Mandela’s speeches. They all words, giving and demanding are the two ends of
have something to say and lead us to somewhere else. the continuum and thus function as one of
As one of the most successful speeches in the world exchange. And the commodity exchanged can be
history, the above factors contribute to the reliability grouped into two kinds: (1) goods-and-services;
and validity of using this speech as a sample corpus (2) information (Halliday, 2000).
for this paper

Table 3 Basic speech roles (Halliday, 2000)

Role Commodity
Goods-service information

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 Giving offer statement

demanding command question

The speech roles and commodity exchanged can arouse the audience to feel this and act accordingly.
make four speech functions, which are statement, Therefore, declarative clauses demand their
question, offer and command. Statements can be prominent presence in a political speech followed by
realized by declarative clause, problem or question is imperative clauses and then interrogative clauses
related to the interrogative clause and command is respectively. With the above mentioned, the
associated with the imperative clause. All the four dominant usage of declarative clauses in Mandela’s
primary speech functions are related with the speech makes it more solemn, convincing, and
grammatical structure. The principle grammatical persuasive and thus gives it a thriving look where he
system here is the MOOD network. The Mood carries succeeded in recalling his and his countrymen’s long
the interpersonal functions of the clause and consists crucial sufferings, expressing his gratitude to his co-
of Subject+Finite. The Subject is realised by a warriors and supporters and making promises and
nominal group that the speaker gives responsibility to inspiring the audience to work for the actual freedom.
for the validity of the clause, while the Finite is For example,
realized by the first functional element of the verbal
group. According to Eggins and Slade (1997), the (1)“Today, all of us do, by our presence here, and by
position of subject-finite in a clause differentiates our celebrations in other parts of our country and the
speech functions which plays an important role to world, confer glory and hope to newborn liberty.
explain the interpersonal meaning of the clause as
exchange and serves a reflection of social role and
(2) Out of the experience of an extraordinary human
identity.
disaster that lasted too long, must be born a society
of which all humanity will be proud.”
In Mandela’s speech, the analysis of the identifying
of Subject and Finite shows that all of the clauses
(16) The time for the healing of the wounds has come.
adopt declarative mood except sentence 33, 34, 35,
36, 38 which are imperative clauses. Statistically of
41 clauses in the data, there are 36 declarative (17) The moment to bridge the chasms that divide us
clauses, accounting for 87.8% of the speech; 5 has come.
clauses are imperative ones which cover the rest of
the percentage of the whole speech. And there are no (18) The time to build is upon us.”
interrogative clauses. There are some considerations
why Mandela chose this mood pattern in his speech. Imperative clause also has a vital role in a speech as
We should bear in mind what Halliday (2004) referes it itself is inspirational, uplifting and commanding,
to the ―multidimensional architecture of language can appeal the audience to follow the speaker’s
―reflects the multidimensional nature of human instruction and thus creates the speaker’s
experience and interpersonal relations. This is most authoritative image by portraying mutual reliant
obvious in speeches, particularly in a political one, relationship. To Halliday (1970), imperative clauses
where to fulfill the mission, it is vital and apparent convey two types of messages: one is to command
for the speaker to give information and demand others to do something, while the other is to invite the
service. In other words, the speaker hopes to offer audience to do something or achieve something
certain messages to the audience showing his attitude together. And the format Let s always provokes the
and assumption and in return he tries to demand and latter one. With reference to 5 imperative clauses

56
started with Let in the data, Mandela is not giving modality, the speaker’s interpersonal meaning
order or command directly but enlightening, could be better reflected in his speech.
persuading and arousing people’s passion to dream, Thompson (2000:57) classified modality into
hope and act together to earn equality, peace, two broad categories: Modalization and
freedom and thus it minimizes the social distance Modulation. ―Modalization is a linguistic
between him and the audience. The following resource for presenting propositions
examples set the tone that such way of addressing noncategorically‖ (Schleppegrell, 2004: 60). It
makes Mandela’s speech more emotive, appealing, expresses the speaker’s judgment towards the
and inspiring to the audience: validity of the proposition by covering the scale
of probability (possible-probable-certain) and
(33) Let there be justice for all. usuality (sometimes-usually-always). And to do
(34) Let there be peace for all. so, the uses of lexicogrammatical resources are
(35) Let there be work, bread, water and salt for all. as; modal verbs (can/could, may/might,
(36) Let each know that for each the body, the mind shall/should, must, etc.), adjectives (possible,
and the soul have been freed to fulfill themselves. certain, probable, inevitable, etc.), adverbs
(probably, likely, perhaps, rarely, etc.), nouns
(38) Let freedom reign. (likelihood, possibility, probability, etc.), and
other devices (in my opinion, in all likelihood, it
seems that…, etc.). On the other hand,
4.2 Modality: Modulation shows the speaker’s sense of
obligation (allowed-supposed-required) and
According to Halliday (1994), ―modality refers inclination (willing-keen-determined). It thus
to the areas of meaning that lies between yes and exposes the speaker’s level of confidence while
no—the intermediate ground between positive exchanging information through a wide range of
and negative polarity.‖ Modality can be used to linguistic resources, including modal verbs
understand the speaker’s position, emotion, (must, should, ought to, etc.), adjectives
affirmation and attitude towards his will, (compulsory, mandatory, willing, etc.), adverbs
revealing the speaker’s estimation and (necessarily, willingly, etc.), and other forms (be
uncertainty to the recognition of things. Thus required to, be inclined to, etc.).
through the analysis of various types of
Table 4: Semantic realization of Modality

Kind of Congruent realizations Metaphorical

realizations
Modality
Finite Adjunct Predicator Mental clause Attributive clause
(mood)

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 Probability Can/could, possibly, I guess … It is possible…

may/might, probably, I think … It is probable…

will/would, certainly I know … It is certain…

should, …

ought to,

must

Usaulity sometimes, ------ ------ It is unusual

usually, (for him to leave)

always…

Obligation necessarily be allowed to, be I’m willing for… I It is permitted

supposed to, be expect…
obliged to It is expected
I want… (him to
leave) It is necessary (…for
him to leave)
Inclination be willing to, be I’d like to leave … It’d be lovely to
keen to, leave …
I want to leave …
be determined to It is possible for

be able to him to leave

Adapted from Martin, Matthiessen & Painter (1997: 70)

Mastery of the ―situationally appropriate expressions of modality enables the writer or speaker to address the
intended audience with skill and exhibit a professional interpersonal competence‖ (Hyland, 1998: 440). This
purpose has been served in Mandela’s speech where statistically 15 modal verbal operators are being identified in
which are presented in the following table:

Table 5: The frequency of modals

Modals Modality frequency

Congruent Will Inclination/futurity 6
must obligation 3
can Ability/ possibility 1

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 could Ability/ possibility 1
Be able to Ability/ possibility 1
…..Would like to, projection 3
…….know,
……trust
The use of Will has a dual role in the speech: Will as encourage his people to believe in their abilities to do
a predicator of the future and then Will as a symbol something together and by doing this, on the other
of strong wish and determination. The following hand, Mandela is minimizing the gap between him
examples show this correspondingly: and his fellow people. Here are the examples:

(2) Out of the experience of an extraordinary human (31) We know it well that none of us acting alone
disaster that lasted too long, must be born a society can achieve success.
of which all humanity will be proud.
(26) We dedicate this day to all the heroes and
(37) Never, never and never again shall it be that this heroines in this country and the rest of the world who
beautiful land will again experience the oppression of sacrificed in many ways and surrendered their lives
one by another and suffer the indignity of being the so that we could be free.
skunk of the world.
4.3 Personal Pronoun
As the highest scale of modal commitment (Halliday:
1994), Must carries out the degree of obligation on Halliday (2000:191) opines that personal system,
the person to carry out a command. Thus most including pronouns and possessives, possess
political speeches adopt Must to convey the speaker’s interpersonal meaning of language. In political
strong determination and also call on the audience to speech, the interpersonal meaning exists in the
be determined to take action to achieve their common communication between the speaker and the
objectives. Same is the case with Mandela’s speech audience. The purpose of an addresser is to
where the use of Must has the above said inform, suggest and thus communicate. The
implementation: choice of different personal pronouns has an
effect on the audience. Because the choice of
(3) Our daily deeds as ordinary South Africans must personal pronoun can clearly make the audience
produce an actual South African reality that will know the attitude of the speaker. It can establish
reinforce humanity`s belief in justice, strengthen its the social relationship between the speaker and
confidence in the nobility of the human soul and audience in a speech.
sustain all our hopes for a glorious life for all.
There are three types of personal pronoun
(32) We must therefore act together as a united system: the first personal includes I, We, Us,
people, for national reconciliation, for nation Our; the second personal includes You,
building, for the birth of a new world. Your; while the third ones include They, It,
Their. For the analysis of Pronoun system,
Again the use of Can, Could represents a low scale of the following table demonstrates the
modal commitment. The semantic meaning of these frequency Personal Pronoun system in
modals is to show one’s ability to do something. So Mandela’s speech:
by using these, Mandela on one hand tries to

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 Table 6: The frequency Personal Pronouns

Personal First personal Second Third personal Total

Pronouns personal
I We Us Our You Your S/he They/Their/them/it

Times 1 27 9 21 2 0 0 1/7/2/10 80
Frequency 1.2% 33.75% 11.25% 26.25% 2.5% 0% 0% 1.2%/8.75%/2.5%/12.5%
(10) We, the people of South Africa, feel fulfilled that
humanity has taken us back into its bosom, that we,
4.3.1 The First Personal Pronoun system who were outlaws not so long ago, have today been
given the rare privilege to be host to the nations of
the world on our own soil.
The above table shows that the first personal
pronoun takes up 72.45% of the total usage of
personal pronoun system. This figure is again (32) We must therefore act together as a united
subcategorized into the plural form we (33.75%) people, for national reconciliation, for nation
and its anamorphous us (11.25%) and our building, for the birth of a new world.
(26.25%); the first single personal pronoun I
covers only 1.2%. That means instead of using In the given sentences, Mandela represents himself as
single form of first personal pronoun, Mandela one of the ordinary citizens of South Africa, kindles
intentionally used the highest proportion of the the audience to feel the same he does and thus
plural form we and its anamorphous to arouse persuades them to come forward under the same flag
the feeling in the audience that the speaker is on and work hand in hand for the actual freedom.
the side of the audience. While in political
speech, we refers to the speaker and all the Referring to the exclusive we, the sentences can be
audience together, in SFL, we and its used as examples:
anamorphous might have both inclusive and
exclusive implementation: inclusive one
(13) We deeply appreciate the role that the masses of
equalizes I and you (the audience) by upholding
our people and their political mass democratic,
emotional effectiveness of sharing same
religious, women, youth, business, traditional and
objectives that minimizes the speaker-audience other leaders have played to bring about this
gap; on the other hand, the meaning of We and conclusion.
its anamorphous from exclusive standpoint refers
to I and others (not the audience spoken to),
which implies a sense of authority, making the (19) We have, at last, achieved our political
audience feel that the addresser and his team has emancipation.
the power to do something. Let us look at the
following sentences: (20) We pledge ourselves to liberate all our people
from the continuing bondage of poverty, deprivation,
(9) That spiritual and physical oneness we all share suffering, gender and other discrimination.
with this common homeland explains the depth of the
pain we all carried in our hearts as we saw our (29) We are both humbled and elevated by the
country tear itself apart in a terrible conflict, and as honour and privilege that you, the people of South
we saw it spurned, outlawed and isolated by the Africa, have bestowed on us, as the first President of
peoples of the world, precisely because it has become a united, democratic, non-racial and non-sexist
the universal base of the pernicious ideology and government.
practice of racism and racial oppression.

60
 The combination of We, Our and Us in the above As a continuation of sentence no 11, the very next
sentences reflects the integration of Mandela’s sentence (12) shows Mandela’s gratitude towards the
government with South African people: it creates international body who helped him and his nation
Mandela and his party’s image with the sense of during the crisis moments. In sentence 29, the use of
gratitude, obligation, high spirit and powerful You by Mandela also shows the same sense of
authority that is determined to achieve as well as to humbleness and at the same time invites his people to
protect its people and their freedom. He also continue their reliance on him and his party.
emphasizes on the idea that there is no difference
between the black and white people.
4.3.3 The Third Personal pronoun system
The remaining single form of personal pronoun I that
has been used only once in the whole speech On the other hand, the plural form and its
represents the speaker (Mandela) himself, his own anamorphous of the third personal pronoun occupy
personal views and feelings, as: 24.95%. In traditional grammar, they is often used to
refer to those people who are absent. In political
(5) To my compatriots, I have no hesitation in saying speech, they can have the effect of realizing
that each one of us is as intimately attached to the interpersonal meaning. Let us take the following
soil of this beautiful country as are the famous sentences:
jacaranda trees of Pretoria and the mimosa trees of
the bushveld. (15) We would also like to pay tribute to our security
forces, in all their ranks, for the distinguished role
4.3.2 The Second Personal pronoun system they have played in securing our first democratic
elections and the transition to democracy, from
In political speech, the use of you elicits a dialogic blood-thirsty forces which still refuse to see the light.
style (Li:2000) referring to the audience in two
perspectives: the first is adopted to draw the (26) We dedicate this day to all the heroes and
audience’s attention, and the second sense is often heroines in this country and the rest of the world who
used to separate the speaker from the audience and sacrificed in many ways and surrendered their lives
help the speaker establish his authority or status so that we could be free.
through being separated from the others (Jin and Lu:
2013). In Mandela’s speech, the second personal (27) Their dreams have become reality.
pronoun—you, takes up the least percent (2.5%)
among the three types of personal pronouns. In this
(28) Freedom is their reward.
speech, You crossed the audience’s boundary and
thus extends from the whole nation to the
international. Observe the sentences: (36) Let each know that for each the body, the mind
and the soul have been freed to fulfill themselves.
(12) We trust that you will continue to stand by us as
we tackle the challenges of building peace, By using they, them, their in the above sentences,
prosperity, non-sexism, non-racialism and Mandela shows his care and respect to people who
democracy. sacrificed their lives during the long-lasted struggle
and also invites the audience to feel the same. Thus it
ties the speaker, his fellow fighters and the present
(29) We are both humbled and elevated by the
audiences in the same intimate and close bondage.
honour and privilege that you, the people of South
Africa, have bestowed on us, as the first President of
a united, democratic, non-racial and non-sexist
government.

61
4.3.4 The Pronoun modifier All struggle and his effective presidency: his
motivational and uplifting commitment inspired both
The frequent use (15 times) of pronoun modifier All the black and white people to bridge the chasm that
in Mandela’s speech demonstrates his challenge to divided the humanity into two communities.
unite the divided communities: black and white
people. The main theme of his speech that depicts on (23) We have triumphed in the effort to implant hope
assuring peace, humanity, freedom and justice for all in the breasts of the millions of our people.
has been evident in the following sentences:
(24) We enter into a covenant that we shall build the
(2) Out of the experience of an extraordinary human society in which all South Africans, both black and
disaster that lasted too long, must be born a society white, will be able to walk tall, without any fear in
of which all humanity will be proud. their hearts, assured of their inalienable right to
human dignity - a rainbow nation at peace with itself
(3) Our daily deeds as ordinary South Africans must and the world.
produce an actual South African reality that will
reinforce humanity`s belief in justice, strengthen its The use of metaphor in the above mentioned
confidence in the nobility of the human soul and sentences acknowledges Mandela’s attempt to make
sustain all our hopes for a glorious life for all. both black and white audience to recognize the
momentum that the history is going to make. He is
(33) Let there be justice for all. also urging his people to move away from the past
(34) Let there be peace for all. legacies and come forward as a newly united people
(35) Let there be work, bread, water and salt for all. to ensure peace, freedom and prosperity for all.

4.4 Rhythmic feature of words

According to Eggins (2004), the link between 5. Conclusion and recommendation:
language systems and the choice of using it enables
the audience to experience the speaker’s This paper takes Nelson Mandela’s presidential
interpersonal meaning: the extent of their intimacy, inauguration speech as a sample to elucidate the role
the level of their familiarity, their attitudes and of interpersonal metafunction in the public speech. It
judgments. Mandela’s speech testifies this as he can be noticed that in this speech the use of mood and
uses a wide range of rhythmic features of words personal pronoun outweighs the use of modals and
that also serves as his attitudinal modifiers. His rhythmic lexical features; but all together they work
speech gives an insight into the long struggle for within the same frame to explicate the speaker’s
freedom, democracy and also for the establishment interpersonal metafunction. From the above
of humanity. discussion we can sum up that different uses of
mood, modals, personal pronouns and rhythmic
(16) The time for the healing of the wounds has come. features of words can convey different levels of
interpersonal meaning: different status, purpose,
meaning and relationship between the speaker and
(17) The moment to bridge the chasms that divide us
the audience.
has come.

This paper can also recommend the speakers to make

(18) The time to build is upon us.
better speeches; as:
In the above sentences, the anaphoric style of
Mandela’s phrasing promotes the reconciliation a) Use of appropriate quantity of
agenda that was to be the hallmark of his long positive declarative clauses to
transmit messages to the audience

62
 clearly and directly; appropriate 11. Halliday, M.A.K. and C. Matthiessen, 2000.
application of imperative clauses to Construing Experience Through Meaning: A
persuade and suggest. language based approach to cognition.
b) Use of modals under the highest London: Continuum.
modal commitment to show the 12. Halliday, M.A.K. and C. Matthiessen. 2004.
speaker’s strong spirit and An Introduction to Functional Grammar:
determination to achieve any task Third Edition. London: Edward Arnold.
and also to promote audience’s 13. Hyland, K. (1998). Persuasion and Context:
confidence in their ability The Pragmatics of Academic Metadiscourse.
c) Use of personal pronoun, especially 14. Journal of Pragmatics 30. 437-455.
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