Many of the features already identified in women's speech (e.g. frequent question-type forms) facilitate the exchange of turn allowing others to speak, with the effect that interaction becomes a shared activity. Interaction among men appears to be organized in a more hierarchical way, with the right to speak or "having the floor" being treated as the goal. Men generally take longer turns at speaking and, in many social contexts (e.g. religious events), may be the only ones allowed to talk.
One effect of the different styles developed by men and women is that certain features become very salient in cross-gender interactions. For example, in same-gender