ler and Parks (1982) found that there are a number of key grammatical and syntactical markers for those in the end stages of a relationship: a decrease in the use of future-tense references in regards to their relationship, a decrease in pronouns referencing mutual agency, a decrease in time spent on each conversational topic (even when the topic is not on a per se threatening subject), an increase in the number of conflict encounters and a decrease in the nonverbal aspects of communication that signal connection such as touch and physical space between people talking to each other.
These distinctions that become apparent grammatically reflect a greater and greater differentiation between the people in a relationship. Knapp etal (1973) found that communication in the end stage of a relationship is marked by an increasing emphasis on what distinguishes the persons involved and how little they have in common. The most visible form of such differentiating is outright conflict or fighting, but i
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