Transitivity Processes in the Discourse of Automobile Advertisements

Abstract

Transitivity relates to clause as representation. It concerns the processes, participants, and circumstances.  Processes are the principal ingredient of the clauses and they are represented by verbs. The chief focus of this study is placed on quantitatively and qualitatively describing the transitivity processes found in 492 randomly selected automobile advertisements from various sources. The manner car advertisement designers illustrate the various transitivity processes are exhibited especially in communicating the themes of their advertising goals. Results of textual analysis confirm that the six types of transitivity processes are embedded in the auto ads. The domination of relational process can be construed from the strategic goal of advertisers of enticing the people’s interest to yield a positive response from them. The high frequency of material process is apparently due to the aims of car advertisers at causing the public to do an action, that is, to purchase the advertised product (i.e., car). Mental process recorded a promising third highest frequency, whereas, the three least prioritized transitivity types are existential, verbal, and behavioral processes. Therefore, the use of transitivity or verb processes in automobile advertisements allows its creative writers to converse their beliefs, purposes, principles, and authorities as specified by their strong assertions or claims in the ads.