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Cherie Blair Speech Analysis Case Study
The speech made by Cherie Blair in response to accusations in the media was a sincere but defensive statement. The field of the text is personal business dealings of Cherie Blair with the people she knew and whether she had misused her position of power to influence certain events.
The mode is a written statement which was publicly read. It is direct and had no interactivity patterns. The audience of this statement is meant to be the people of Britain, including the media highly publicising the scandal and the UK government to which Blair was associated through marriage to the Prime Minister.
In examining the syntax of the statement, it is evident that Blair utilised a very informal and personal tone. She is apparently reflective of her life and actions, realising her responsibilities. The use of metaphors in the semantics of her speech indicates an informal and emotional expression of the message she is trying to relay.
While her grammar seems to be correct, she uses a verbally spoken discourse in the pattern of speech, even when it is written down. Looking at the phonology of the statement, she repeatedly uses “I” and lists things by repeating the same words at the beginning of sentences. This repetition may indicate nervousness or an attempt to enforce a particular message.
Overall, the statement seeks to present the realities of the situation from Blair’s perspective. She is direct, using the present tense, and does not speak in abstract terms. At some points, she addresses her audience as in an attempt to connect her life experiences with theirs. It is an indicator that Blair acknowledges her public role, the responsibilities of which she mentions throughout the statement.
