<html><div style='background-color:'><P><FONT face="Geneva, Arial, Sans-serif" size=3>Sorry that it took me a while to respond to your question. (I had to get to a computer to see the attachment.) The sentence is a good one; however, the eyebrows need to be down or you are asking a yes/no question. So basically, this sentence is saying "Hello, your name is What, right?" :-) I know it isn't the meaning that you are looking for, so the eyebrows need to be down. I see that Stefan wrote that in his re-write.</FONT></P>
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<P><FONT face=Arial size=3>You are right about the use of the deixis rather than the possessive form. Most native English speakers never think of it this way, but the use of the possessive pronoun is used to signify possession of something. A name is not considered a possession, but rather a part of who you are. So I guess a more direct translation of the sentence to show that would be "What is the name for you?"</FONT></P>
<P><FONT face="Geneva, Arial, Sans-serif" size=3>I have looked at ASLMaster.com. It looks really good from what I have seen, the most thorough that I have ever seen. The only thing that I found disappointing was the emphasize on the close marker with the original pronoun. (Using two deixis within one sentence, one in the sentence and the other at the end.) It isn't wrong, but it is only used in formal settings like a club meeting or at church. Most Deaf will only use the last deixis when carrying on a typical conversation. (Or you the first only if the are more English.) That is the reason I said above that your sentence is a good one (except for the eyebrows) because it would only truly be used in a formal situation. It would be like saying ¿Cómo esta usted? at a coffee shop. A very good Spanish sentence, but being used in an inappropriate situation because "usted" is only used in
formal situations. I guess it annoys me that teachers will stress things like this without explaining when it is appropriate and inappropriate. (And they do it with other languages as well, not just ASL or any Sign Language.) I guess because they don't want to overload their students, but I like the way that my professor teaches her students. She will just throws it in there that there is a loop hole rather than saying it is an absolute, so that later they can learn it when they are ready without saying, "But my teacher said that..." </FONT></P>
<P><FONT face=Arial size=3>This was longer than I was thinking that it would be, but I just had to say this. Thanks for listening. :-)</FONT></P>
<P><FONT face=Arial size=3>Adam</FONT></P><FONT style="FONT-SIZE: 11px; FONT-FAMILY: tahoma,sans-serif"></DIV>
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<DIV></DIV>From: <I>"Valerie Sutton" <sutton@signwriting.org></I><BR>Reply-To: <I>sw-l@majordomo.valenciacc.edu</I><BR>To: <I>sw-l@majordomo.valenciacc.edu</I><BR>Subject: <I>[sw-l] ASL Grammar - Is this correct?</I><BR>Date: <I>Sat, 28 Jan 2006 16:38:24 -0800</I><BR>>SignWriting List<BR>>January 28, 2006<BR>><BR>>I just wrote this sentence. I tried to write it in ASL grammar. Is <BR>>this correct grammar? I was trying to say:<BR>><BR>>Hello, What is your name?<BR>><BR>><BR>
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