Different ways of speaking are part of gender. As adults, men and women sometimes face difficulties in their communication with each other. Studies of communication show that if a woman tells her husband about a problem, she will expect him to listen and offer sympathy. She may be annoyed when he simply tells her how to solve the problem. Similarly, a husband may be annoyed when his wife wants to stop and ask a stranger for directions to a park or restaurant. Unlike his wife, he would prefer to use a map and find his way by himself.

Language is also part of the different ways that men and women think about friendship. Most men believe that friendship means doing things together such as camping or playing tennis. Talking is not an important part of friendship for most of them. Women, , usually identify their best friend as someone with whom they talk frequently. Experts believe that for women, talking with friends and agreeing with them is very important.

(Adapted from Different Ways of Talking)

In the extract, when the woman expects her husband to offer sympathy, she wants him to