Write an essay of 2 to 3 double-spaced, printed pages answering the following question.  The essay is due in your next week Tuesday or Wednesday section, April 29 or 30.

Think about a conversation you had recently with a person of the opposite sex.  Did this conversation display any elements of the "sociolinguistic subcultures" outlined in Maltz and Borker's article?  Give specific and clear examples of these, or if you really don't think there were any, explain clearly and explicitly why not.

There are several ways you could organize a paper on this topic, but here is one that would work:

First, a topic sentence of some sort to the effect that a conversation you had with (your boyfriend, mother, battleax professor, whomever) demonstrates some aspects of the speech styles of men and women mentioned in Maltz and Borker's article, or if you really think it doesn't, a topic sentence to the effect that such a conversation doesn't and why.

Then an account of the conversation. Say what you said and what the other person said. If the conversation was long, only write out part of it.

Then choose as many of the characteristics of male and female conversation from the article as you think are found in your account, and go through them one-by-one showing which parts of the conversation manifested these characteristics, and why.

Then a conclusion that says something to either to the effect that Maltz and Borker's analysis helps you understand the interaction you had with your (girlfriend, father, battleax TA, whomever), and how; or to the effect that it doesn't, and why.