You Are What You Say Lakoff Analysis

Robin Tolmach Lakoff is a linguistics professor at the University of California for over Forty years. She received her degrees from top Universities such as, Harvard. Most of Lakoff’s work is focused on feminist and language issues. In the article You Are What You Say Lakoff explains how women have their own language and how it limits their effectiveness. Growing up women learn how to walk, eat, and speak. The way each activity is perform is based on how the well the person was taught and their culture backgrounds. As women go on the into the real world they think they have master how to communicate, but only to learn they’re communicate cripples. A woman is consider to be a “lady”, but when talked like one she is criticized and assumed she’s unable to think clearly or take part in any serious discussion. When a woman does decided to talk like a “lady” she is still disparage for being “unfeminine” and for thinking like a man. Damned if they do, and damned if they don’t.

This tag question is mostly used by women. A tag question is used when the speaker lacks full confidence. The speaker knows the answer but still wants confirmation that their right. One example is when a woman may say, “Joan is here, is not she?” the woman knows Joan is here but still wants confirmation that’s she right this way she won’t get a negative response but a positive one instead. When women often use a tag question it’s sham that she’s untrustworthy with any responsibilities since she’s “unsure of her self”. Most people won’t take the woman