how to ask question in ASL

[Alicja Mencel]

Hello ALL....I hope you can help me....I went  over Dr.Bill on you tube lesson 01...there is different way to write a question and speak up and there is different way to sign the same question..

So I was practicing with my friend ASL , just conversation..making sentences and write them down and then sign to each other....I did ask question: "Did he do basic level ASL last year?" it was about his friend"s father.  And I tried to figure out how to sign this question...came out with :" basic level ASL last year He? "was that ok ...or what other way I should sign? Please help....Thank you...Alicja.

[Rolando Lucero Villalobos]

*Look at how the eyebrows turn this into a question.

Edited August 29, 2018 by Rolando Lucero Villalobos

[Alicja Mencel]

thank you

[Lysandor]

ASL tends to put time first. That way everything after that references the same time period. So you would put your time point first. 

 

YEAR PAST HE BASIC ASL CLASS TAKE

The sentence would be signed with raised eyebrows. Raised eyebrows are used for Yes/No questions. Lowered eyebrows are used for open ended questions. 

[Daron McNutt]

Rolando is right that the eyebrows make it a question.  However, the question "Did he do basic level ASL last year?"  is a yes or no question, meaning that you must raise your eyebrows for it.  You lower your eyebrows for "Wh-" questions (Who, what, when, where, why), such as "Who is your doctor?"

[Rolando Lucero Villalobos]

Ah, that's right. Thanks for the reminder guys!

[Alicja Mencel]

thank you guys...so it seems that the words who or why doesnt need to be at the end of the sentence..question?

[Alicja Mencel]

so in question "who is your doctor?" you would sign "your doctor who? with lower eye brows...or to sign "who is your doctor?" would be ok too...?

[Lysandor]

Technically you can sign either.  The more ASL version would be YOUR DOCTOR WHO with eyebrows lowered for the WHO.  But you could technically ask WHO YOUR DOCTOR with eyebrows lowered the entire time. But this is usually considered more English.  But you will still find Deaf people that do it.  It's just not as ASL as the first example.

[Alicja Mencel]

thank you Lysandor ,Rolando and Daron....:)