ASL GRAMMAR

Why do I have to point twice?

Pointing back to yourself or to the person you’re talking about shows completion of a train of thought.

This allows someone to start signing without interrupting you.

Using deixis (index finger) at the end of a sentence is called a closing signal.

Closing signals are important when asking questions using the Question-Maker or the WH-Face

Closing Signals…

Use a closing signal when: Making a statement or comment about

yourself or someone else. Asking a question

Examples: YOU NAME WHAT YOU?ME NAME KELLY ME

Remember…

ASL sentences lacking closing signals are incomplete

There is no such thing as a one-word answer or reply in ASL.

When responding to a question or statement, one-word replies are incomplete.

Question Maker

Raising your eyebrows forms the Question-Maker, an expression that shows you are asking a question.

Keep your eyebrows raised until you’ve completed signing the question.

Examples: I’m going to the bathroomAm I going to the bathroom

Little Words (is, to, are)

The grammar and syntax (the order in which words are put together) of ASL is different from English.

ASL does not need “little” words because these words are already included in the sign.

Example:THANK YOU

The verb and object are combined in the sign.

Time Signs

Signs that show when something happens come first in a sentence.Days of the week, year, last-year, etc.

WH-Signs

WHO, WHAT, WHERE, WHEN, WHY because, WHICH

These signs go at the end of a sentence!WHO may occur at the beginning of a

sentence only if it also occurs at the end.

Grammatical Structures

ASL uses one of two different grammatical structures depending on what is being signed.Topic-CommentSubject-Verb-Object (SVO)

Sentence Structure

In ASL you can choose to assemble words in your sentence in different orders, depending on the content of your conversation.

Putting Nouns and Verbs Together

ASL allows you to put the subject before or after the verb when dealing with simple sentences; it doesn’t matter which word comes first.

Example: HE SELLSME EAT

Sentences with Direct Objects

Direct object: a word that goes after the verb and answers the question What? Or Whom?

In ASL the direct object can go before the subject or after the verb.

Example:FOOD HE SELLSCAR SHE DRIVES

Signing Indirect Objects

Indirect objects: words that come between the verb and direct object; they indicate who or what receives the direct object.

Example:GIRL DOG BONE THROWME TEACHER APPLES-me GIVE

Topic-Comment

In topic comment languages the signer presents information then makes the information either a statement or a question by adding a comment.

English does not use topic-comment structure often so becoming used to ASL Grammar can be a challenge.

Topic-Comment

Keep in mind that while using ASL signs in English word order may be easy to do, it is no different than speaking Spanish but following English Word order- You wont make sense in either language.

Example: What you name?Topic: youComment: nameYOU NAME WHAT YOU?

Sentence Structure

Topic Time Place Description

Comment Actor Action

Time + Topic + Comment

Topic Comment Practice

John’s mom showed up at his apartment this morning and told him she had a surprise for him.

Sissy had to hurry to get to the university, so this morning she didn’t eat.

Jose has a really cool apartment. It is over there by the university.

See the woman over there, the tall, thin one with the blonde hair in the pink dress?

Topic Comment Practice cont…

Marci’s not feeling good today. She’s hot and then cold.

I don’t know what I smell but something stinks.

Mr. Smith teaches at the High School. Wow! Was he mad today!

Today I didn’t have class so I spent all day reading a good book.

Subject-Verb-Object

Use when WH-signs are not neededMore familiar to English speakers.Why often acts as a bridge or connector

between two separate SVO phrases.When using WHY raise your eyebrows.Example: _________neg ___^

ME GO SCHOOL WHY? ME SICK.

AND/OR

Does he want a blue or black pen?HE WANT PEN BLUE BACK WHICH? HE

I need this one and that one.ME NEED IX-this IX-that ME.

True-Biz

Means literally

ACCEPT-HARD

Too bad just accept it for what it is.

FOR-FOR

Why? What for.

SEE-SEE

Oh I see!Oh I understand.

DO-DO

What are you doing?What did you do?What do you do?

Numbers 1-5

Numbers 1-5 always face you except when signing addresses and telephone numbers.

INSIDE

The sign inside is a literal sign that means to be inside of.

Avoid using it when signing IN December or IN the future.

Compound Signs

Many words in ASL are compound signs. Two separate signs that are combined to

make an additional meaning. Example: parents, sunny, grandparents

Listing & Ordering

Making a visual list of information such as names or ages is called listing.

The non-dominant hand forms a list with each new bit of information signed by the dominant hand.

Example:Marc is the first, I’m the 2nd, and Lila is the

3rd child.

Fixing Mistakes

Mistakes are guaranteed to happen, whether you are fluent in a language or not.

The most common ways to fix a mistake are:OopsSlip-mindUm, uhWave-no

Pronouns and Number

Use the ASL pronoun that shows the particular number of people being talked about whenever possible.

When the exact number is unknown use the general pronouns we, us, or they.

Pronouns

General Pronoun: We, Us (up to 8)You and I, Us three, the four of us.

General Pronoun: you (plural)You two, you three, the four of you

General Pronoun: they, them, thoseThese two, those three, the four of them.

Pronoun Drill

Those four You and me You three You and her These five You, me, and him She and I Two of them Us two