Lesson 24 American Sign Language (ASL)

0:00 / 0:00

Objectives:

___ Discussion topic: Comparison Adjectives
___ Discussion topic: Classifier: Quantifiers
___ Discussion topic: Classifier: 5
___ I am able to recognize and sign the practice sentences for this lesson
___ I have taken the Lesson 24 Practice Quiz
___ I have taken the general practice quiz for this lesson. See: PRACTICE QUIZZES

Vocabulary:

ACCEPT
DECLINE-[opposite_of_improve]
DECREASE
DON'T-MIND
DURING-[while]
ENOUGH
EQUAL
good-enough
HOW-MUCH-[cost]
IMPROVE
INCREASE
less-than (compare_with_less)
limit
MISCHIEVOUS-(variation:_devil)
more-than
OTHER-[else]
SHUT-DOWN-[power-outage_power-off_turn-off]
STRANGE
SUCCEED-[success] also see Pah!-[finally]
THAN
too-much
WORRY

Review Vocabulary

Expansion Vocabulary

GOOD / BETTER / BEST-[L24] | LITTLE-BIT-[L11] | MOST-[L16] | Pah!-[finally]-[L24]

Practice:

Practice sheet: 24.A
01. BEFORE-[prior-to] MEET NEW PERSON YOU LIKE BRUSH-TEETH?
02. BEFORE-[prior-to] TEST YOU WORRY?
03. COUSIN HIMSELF STRANGE YOU HAVE?
04. FOOD ENOUGH YOU?
05. FOOD, STRANGE, NEW, YOU LIKE EAT YOU?

Practice sheet: 24.B
06. YOUR SIGNing, IMPROVE HOW?
07. IF NOT GO SIGN CLASS, NOT CHAT DEAF, YOUR SIGN DECLINE?
08. YOUR CAR, GAS, LEAVE-[remaining] HOW-MUCH-[volume]?
09. YOUR REFRIGERATOR, ORANGE-"J" LEAVE-[remaining] HOW-MUCH-[volume]?
10. ROCKET ALL SUCCEED?

Practice sheet: 24.C
11. TOMORROW you-HELP-me, DON'T-MIND?
12. DOCTOR EARN MORE-THAN NURSE, WHY?
13. SOME BOSS ACCEPT BAD WORK, WHY?
14. RECENTLY INCREASE YOU?
15. YOU MISCHIEVOUS SOMETIMES?

Practice sheet: 24.D
16. DURING SUMMER VACATION YOU STUDY?
17. YOU THINK _______ EARN TOO-MUCH? [ASL TEACHER, DOCTOR, MECHANIC, etc.]
18. YOUR __________ COST HOW-MUCH-[cost]? [ASL BOOK, SHOES, HOUSE, COMPUTER, etc.]
19. YOUR COMPUTER, SHUT-DOWN every-NIGHT YOU?
20. YOUR FAMILY, WHO OTHER-[else] SIGN?

Additional Information:

Notes:

The phrase, "RECENTLY INCREASE YOU?" could be interpreted a number of ways. Suppose you were talking about money and jobs and someone signed, "YOU INCREASE RECENTLY?" it would be interpreted as "Did you recently get a raise?" If you were talking about health, it would be "Have you recently gained weight?" If we were talking about stocks it would mean, "Have you recently added to your portfolio?"

FOOD ENOUGH YOU? -- could be interpreted as:
Do you have enough food?
Did you eat enough?

COUSIN HIMSELF STRANGE YOU HAVE? -- could be interpreted as:
Do you have a strange cousin?

YOUR SIGNing, IMPROVE HOW? -- could be interpreted as:
How can you improve your signing?
Or depending on the context of the conversation it could mean, "Your signing has improved. How did you do it?"

Discussion:

Note: MANY vs. HOW MANY Facial expressions are crucial for meaning in these sentences:

1. Are there many? / \ (Eyebrows up. Head tilted slightly forward.)
If you ask: "Are there many?" That is a yes/no question and the eyebrows are up. / \

2. There are many! (nod) The sign MANY moves a bit forward.

3. How many are there? \ / (Eyebrows down. Head tilted slightly back.) The sign HOW MANY is a "wh" question and thus the eyebrows are furrowed. \ /

When discussing "countable items" you should use "many," "how-many," or the one-handed version of "how-many," (which is often interpreted as "how much" --meaning "what is the cost of that?").

Some things are not countable. For example you can't count "water." You can count "cups of water," or "drops of water" but you can't "count" water.

When discussing things that are not "countable," you should use the sign "MUCH / a lot" -- HOW-MUCH (volume).

The concept of "HOW MUCH" (volume) can be shown by signing "MUCH" while using a "WH" facial expression. (WH)-MUCH. Or you can add the sign HOW. (HOW-MUCH)

Comparison Adjectives:
In English, comparisons often use the concept of "-er." For example if one thing weighs more than another thing we often say it is "heavier."

In ASL, the concept of "-er" is shown by raising the right "A" hand (Palm back, thumb-side up. Note, the thumb is not extended, it is just relaxed.) "-er"

You could use "-er" in such concepts as "bigger, smaller, faster, etc." The concept of "more good" or "good-er" in English is expressed as "better." In ASL we combine the signs "GOOD" and "-ER" to mean "BETTER."

Visit the GOOD / BETTER / BEST page for an example.

Also check out: MOST

Another comparison sign we often use in ASL is "little-bit."
LITTLE-BIT

Quizzes:

Self-study students, see: Lesson 24 Practice Quiz
Taking this as a class? Contact your local teacher or see your syllabus for the right quiz to take.

Notes:

The sign EQUAL also appears in the Lesson 12 vocabulary; it is included here again as part of this lesson's comparison set.

ASL: Lesson 24