gender examples only

Question 1

deborah tannen

Answer 1

Conflict vs. Compromise
- Men may engage in debate or argument.
- “That’s not how it works.” (Challenges the statement)
- Women may seek compromise.
- “Maybe we can find a middle ground?” (Encourages resolution)

• Men often seek status in conversation.
• “I did that last year—it was a huge success.” (Self-promotion)
• Women often seek support and agreement.
• “That must have been really difficult for you.” (Empathy)

Question 2

Jennifer Coates

Answer 2

Cooperative Talk
Women tend to support each other’s speech rather than compete for dominance.

Yeah, exactly!” (Agreement and encouragement)
- “I know, right?” (Building rapport)

Tag Questions for Solidarity
- It was a great film, wasn’t it?” (Encouraging agreement)
- “You’ve seen that show, haven’t you?” (Seeking connection)

Question 3

Jane pilkington

Answer 3

Women’s Speech (Collaborative & Supportive)
- Encouraging responses – “That’s so true!” / “I totally get what you mean.”
- Positive politeness – “You look amazing today!” / “That’s such a great idea!”

Men’s Speech (Competitive & Direct)
- Challenging statements – “Nah, I don’t think that’s right.”
- One-upmanship – “That’s nothing, I once did it twice as fast!”

Question 4

Goodwin

Answer 4

Aggravated Directives (Used by Boys)
Boys tend to use direct, commanding language to assert dominance.
- “Give me that now!” (Strong imperative)
- “Stop messing around!” (Authority-driven command)

Mitigated Directives (Used by Girls)
Girls often use softer, collaborative language to maintain relationships.
- “Could you pass me that, please?” (Politeness strategy)
- “Maybe we should try it this way?” (Indirect suggestion)

Question 4

Zimmerman and West

Answer 4

Male Interruptions in Conversation
- Disrupting speech – “Wait, that’s not right!” (Cutting off the speaker)
- Taking control – “Hold on, let me explain.” (Dominating the discussion)
- Minimal responses – “Hmm.” / “Yeah.” (Giving short, non-engaging replies)

2. Female Speech Patterns
   - Cooperative talk – “That’s interesting—tell me more!” (Encouraging participation)
   - Hedging – “I think maybe we should try this?” (Softening statements)
   - Tag questions – “That makes sense, doesn’t it?” (Seeking agreement)

Question 5

O’barr and atkins

Answer 5

• Hedging – “I think maybe he was there?” (Shows uncertainty)
• Tag Questions – “It was late, wasn’t it?” (Seeking confirmation)
• Politeness Strategies – “I’m sorry, but I just don’t know.” (Softening statements)
• Indirect Requests – “Could you possibly explain that again?” (Avoiding direct demands)

Question 6

pamela fishman

Answer 6

Women Asking More Questions
Women use questions to maintain conversation flow, rather than because they lack confidence.
- “So, what do you think about that?” (Encouraging participation)
- “Did you have a good weekend?” (Keeping the conversation going)

Women Using Backchanneling
Women frequently use supportive responses to show interest and encourage discussion.
- “Oh wow, really?” (Showing enthusiasm)
- “That’s interesting!” (Encouraging the speaker)

Question 7

Esther Grief

Answer 7

• Parental Interruptions – Fathers and mothers interrupt daughters more frequently.
• Daughter: “I was thinking about—”
• Father: “Hold on, let’s talk about something else.” (Cutting off speech)
• Minimal Responses – Parents give shorter replies to daughters compared to sons.
• Daughter: “I had a great day at school!”
• Mother: “That’s nice.” (Less engagement)