1. ASL Sentence Structure: The Basics
American Sign Language

2. WARM UP
Review possessive signs and colors on pages in your Master ASL! Textbook.

3. Topic-Comment Sentence Structure
American Sign Language uses different grammatical structures depending upon what is being talked about.
One such structure is called topic-comment sentence structure or object-subject-verb (OSV) sentence structure.
Example: STORE ME GO

4. Topic-Comment Sentence Structure (continued)
In topic-comment sentence structure, the signer presents information and then makes the information either a statement or a question by adding a comment.
English does not use topic-comment sentence structure so becoming used to ASL grammar can be a challenge.
Keep in mind that while using ASL signs in English word order may be easy to do, it is no different that speaking in Spanish but following English word order – you won’t make sense in either language.

5. Rhetorical Sentence Structure
The rhetorical in ASL uses the WH-Signs but with the YES/NO Face instead of the WH-Face.
You are indicating to the signer that you know the answer.
After signing the WH-Sign, you will continue the sentence by answer the WH-question you posed in the first half of the sentence.

6. “AND / OR” ASL Sentence Structures
OR indicates WHICH
Keeping in line with Topic-Comment Sentence Structure, you would sign the choices first and then sign WHICH
AND indicates BOTH
Again, keeping in line with Topic-Comment Sentence Structure, you would sign the choices first and then sign BOTH.

7. Sample Sentences of Each Sentence Structure
English Sample Sentence:
I am going to the store to buy more milk.
Topic-Comment Sentence Structure:
MILK RUN-OUT STORE ME GO BUY
Subject-Verb-Object (SVO) Sentence Structure:
CANNOT BE USED BECAUSE THIS IS NOT A SIMPLE SENTENCE.
Rhetorical Sentence Structure:
ME GO STORE WHY BUY MORE MILK

8. Sample Sentences of Each Sentence Structure (continued)
English Sample Sentence:
I am going to the store to buy more milk and bread.
AND Sentence Structure:
ME STORE GO. ME BUY MILK BREAD BOTH.
Are you going to the store to buy milk or orange juice?
OR Sentence Structure:
YOU GO STORE YOU? YOU BUY MILK ORANGE #J WHICH?

9. Unit Three Vocabulary City/Town Close/Far Page 94 – Favorites Love it!
Page 96 –
New/Old
Pager/Video Phone
Page 105 – Seasons
Page 106 – Holidays
Page Weather