ASL Format: How it is Signed and Written

ASL Format: How it is Signed and Written

• The words are written in all caps.
• Articles, such as words like "is" or "are" is left out, and only the glosses (The written word of the sign; the word that is the primary meaning is used) is written.  (Glosses are ALWAYS written in caps)
• Some glosses use hyphens, such as A-LOT, A-LITTLE, 1-MINUTE, 1-HOUR, 1-DAY, 1-YEAR. This means that it is all one sign.

Here are examples:

 (Topic + Comment)

___T_____   <---- Used to refer to the part of the sentence that is the Topic.

 MY HOME, FURNITURE, HAVE A-LOT. – My home has a lot of furniture.             

                  "Of" "a" are not written.

__T__

MEAT, MY FAVORITE FOOD. - My favorite food is meat.                      

The primary meaning for the sign for meat is meat, but the secondary meaning is steak.  Instead of writing steak, it is written as the primary.  In a vocabulary list, the gloss is in caps and the secondary meaning is lowercase.  (Ex. MEAT, steak)

I HAPPY I.   I HAPPY.  HAPPY I.   -- Repeating "I", "You", etc. at the end of the sentence is perfectly fine. It's clarification.

(Object + Person + Action)

APPLE, I EAT. - I eat apples, or I ate an apple.

DOG, GIRL PLAY WITH.  - The girl played with the dog.

v  For sentences including a time or a question, the question goes at the end of the sentence and the time is the beginning of the sentence. Location is included in the topic and goes first.  (Time + Location + Topic)

Examples:

Time + Place/Topic + Comment

_Time_______  Place/Topic Comment

TOMORROW, SCHOOL WE GO.  - We go to school tomorrow.

Time + Place/Topic + Comment + Question

_Time       P/T         C___  _WH_

TODAY, STORE YOU GO, WHY? - Why did you go to the store today?

For more on Questions, please read my Questions in ASL Page, or for Time, read my Time in ASL page.