Language Analysis of Public Notifications Issued by the Government of Pakistan

Abstract

This study investigated lexical ambiguity and syntactical complexity within notifications issued by the Government of Pakistan. The primary objective is to understand the implications of vague or unclear word choices, including pronunciation errors, on the interpretation and implementation of crucial government directives. The study also aims to examine the complexity of syntactical structures employed in government documents, specifically how these structures properly convey legal information. The purpose of this research is to scrutinize lexical ambiguity, focusing on pronunciation errors, identifying vague and unclear word choices, and assessing the complexity of syntactical structures in twenty-one public notifications related to festivals issued by the Ministry of Interior, Government of Pakistan. Halliday's Systemic Functional Linguistics (SFL) theory, was applied to reveal a conscious application of linguistic choices that align with the formal and bureaucratic context of government notifications. The analysis emphasizes the functional aspects of language use, ensuring precise information conveyance while maintaining a formal tone and adhering to grammatical and organizational conventions. The findings of this study were derived through a qualitative approach, incorporating qualitative data analysis techniques. The research uncovered consistent patterns, including the formal use of abbreviations, the employment of complex sentence structures for detailed information, maintenance of a formal tone, effective utilization of sentences for conveying essential information, organized enumeration contributing to clarity, and linguistic choices analyzed within the ideational function framework. This study provided a nuanced exploration of language use in government notifications, addressing lexical and syntactical aspects. It sheds light on the conscious linguistic choices made to align with formal communication norms. This research enhanced our understanding of how language functions in bureaucratic discourse, contributing valuable insights for future studies in this domain.