It’s easy to get annoyed at those couples who use the royal “we” when talking about themselves to others, but a new study from the University of California suggests that partners and couples who use “we” are better at conflict resolution than those who don’t.

The study found that using terms such as “we”, “our” and “us” lead to more positive feelings towards one another and less individual stress. Those who favoured the words “I”, “me” and “you”, which emphasise separateness, were found to be less content in their relationships and marriages.

The interesting relationship research also found that older couples tended to use more of the grouping pronouns than younger, middle-aged couples  because their experience with overcoming difficulty and raising families heightened their sense of being part of a two-person team.

So, if you’re in a fresh relationship, you don’t have to rush into collective pronouns, but later down the track altering your lingo could very well make for a happier partnership.