American Sign Language (ASL)

American Sign Language Linguistics: "rhetorical questions" Rhetorical Questions A "rhetorical question" is a question that you ask for the purpose of keeping your audience awake. (Okay, so that isn't a dictionary definition, but trust me, that is what rhetorical questions are used for.) A normal "wh-question" is: "How are we going to do it?" A normal "yes/no question" is: "Do you want to know how we are going to do it?" A rhetorical question is: "We are going to do it. How? By working together." Now look at what we really mean with that rhetorical "how": "We are going to do it. (Do you want to know) how? By working together." The sentence, "Do you want to know how?" is generally answered with a "yes" or a "no" thus it is considered a "yes/no" question (in ASL) and so we raise our eyebrows when asking it. Normal "Wh-questions" use "furrowed eyebrows." Normal "Yes/no questions" use "raised eyebrows." Rhetorical "Wh-questions" use "raised eyebrows." A "rhetorical question" in ASL uses the raised eyebrows (non-manual features / facial expressions) of a "yes/no question" because you are not actually asking "how to do something," but rather you are asking your conversation partner if he or she wants to know how to do something. It is a way of getting him or her to pay attention. Rhetorical questions in ASL tend to use a with a slight tilt of the head and a raising of the eyebrows in combination with one of the following signs: WHO, WHEN, WHERE, WHY, HOW, FOR-FOR, REASON, etc. Example of a rhetorical: English: She passed her class! How? She paid the teacher. ASL: "SHE PASS CLASS, HOW-(rhetorical)? PAY TEACHER. (The sign "HOW" in the above sentence would have raised eyebrows and a slight tilt of the head.) If I wanted to sign the sentence, "We have come to school so we can improve ourselves." I would sign, "WE COME HERE, WHY-(rhetorical)?, IMPROVE SELF-(horizontal sweeping motion.) (The sign "WHY" in the above sentence would have raised eyebrows and a slight tilt of the head.) English sentence: "We couldn't afford to waste the ammo." ASL sentence: Use the nonmanual marker "carelessly" while using an instrument classifier "GUN" to demonstrate the shooting of a gun carelessly, CAN'T, WHY-(rhetorical)?, FRUGAL BULLETS. (The sign "WHY" in the above sentence would have raised eyebrows and a slight tilt of the head.) English sentence: "We are going to do this by buying five houses a year." ASL sentence: "WE ACHIEVE HOW-(rhetorical)? BUY 5 HOUSE every-YEAR" (The sign "HOW" in the above sentence would have raised eyebrows and a slight tilt of the head.) Here we see that the concept of "by" can sometimes be expressed through the use of a rhetorical question: "HOW?" = "by." Sample quiz questions: 1. What type of sentence is it when you use a sign like WHEN, WHO, WHAT, WHERE, FOR-FOR, and REASON with raised eyebrows, and may also use a slight shake or tilt of the head? a. "whq" or a "Wh"-question b. "q" or a "YES/NO" question c. "rhq" or a rhetorical question (* right answer) d. "if" - a conditional sentence 2. What is the nonmanual marker for a rhetorical question? Answer: Raised eyebrows, and may also use a slight shake or tilt of the head 3. What is the symbol for glossing of a rhetorical question? Answer: The gloss for a rhetorical question is: * "rhet" 4. Raised eyebrows, a slight shake or tilt of the head paired with one of these signs: WHEN, WHO, WHAT, WHERE, FOR-FOR, and REASON is probably what type of question? Answer: A rhetorical question Notes & Discussion: Question: When you ask a rhetorical "why" or answer someone else's question -- is there a sign for "because" or do you just skip signing "because" thus making the "because" concept implied? Answer: In general you should just skip signing "because" as part of rhetorical questions (since the concept of "because" is implied). There is a sign for "because" but usually it is not necessary. Over-use of "because" is typically perceived by viewers as indicating a signer is not familiar with the type of signing done by skilled signers. See: BECAUSE This isn't to say that we never sign "because." We do. We just do it sparingly and only when it significantly contributes to creating the specific message we wish to convey. Want to help support ASL University? It's easy: DONATE (Thanks!) (You don't need a PayPal account. Just look for the credit card logos and click continue.) Another way to help is to buy something from the ASLU "Bookstore." Want even more ASL resources? Visit the "ASL Training Center!" (Subscription Extension of ASLU) CHECK IT OUT > Bandwidth slow? Check out "ASLUniversity.com" (a free mirror of Lifeprint.com less traffic, fast access) VISIT > American Sign Language University ™ You can learn sign language online! Lifeprint.com © Dr. William Vicars

A "rhetorical question" is a question that you ask for the purpose of keeping your audience awake. (Okay, so that isn't a dictionary definition, but trust me, that is what rhetorical questions are used for.)

A normal "wh-question" is: "How are we going to do it?"
A normal "yes/no question" is: "Do you want to know how we are going to do it?"
A rhetorical question is: "We are going to do it. How? By working together."

Now look at what we really mean with that rhetorical "how":
"We are going to do it. (Do you want to know) how? By working together."

The sentence, "Do you want to know how?" is generally answered with a "yes" or a "no" thus it is considered a "yes/no" question (in ASL) and so we raise our eyebrows when asking it.

Normal "Wh-questions" use "furrowed eyebrows."
Normal "Yes/no questions" use "raised eyebrows."
Rhetorical "Wh-questions" use "raised eyebrows."

A "rhetorical question" in ASL uses the raised eyebrows (non-manual features / facial expressions) of a "yes/no question" because you are not actually asking "how to do something," but rather you are asking your conversation partner if he or she wants to know how to do something. It is a way of getting him or her to pay attention.

Rhetorical questions in ASL tend to use a with a slight tilt of the head and a raising of the eyebrows in combination with one of the following signs:
WHO, WHEN, WHERE, WHY, HOW, FOR-FOR, REASON, etc.

Example of a rhetorical:
English: She passed her class! How? She paid the teacher.
ASL: "SHE PASS CLASS, HOW-(rhetorical)? PAY TEACHER.
(The sign "HOW" in the above sentence would have raised eyebrows and a slight tilt of the head.)

If I wanted to sign the sentence, "We have come to school so we can improve ourselves." I would sign, "WE COME HERE, WHY-(rhetorical)?, IMPROVE SELF-(horizontal sweeping motion.)
(The sign "WHY" in the above sentence would have raised eyebrows and a slight tilt of the head.)

English sentence: "We couldn't afford to waste the ammo."
ASL sentence: Use the nonmanual marker "carelessly" while using an instrument classifier "GUN" to demonstrate the shooting of a gun carelessly, CAN'T, WHY-(rhetorical)?, FRUGAL BULLETS.
(The sign "WHY" in the above sentence would have raised eyebrows and a slight tilt of the head.)

English sentence: "We are going to do this by buying five houses a year."
ASL sentence: "WE ACHIEVE HOW-(rhetorical)? BUY 5 HOUSE every-YEAR"
(The sign "HOW" in the above sentence would have raised eyebrows and a slight tilt of the head.)
Here we see that the concept of "by" can sometimes be expressed through the use of a rhetorical question: "HOW?" = "by."

1. What type of sentence is it when you use a sign like WHEN, WHO, WHAT, WHERE, FOR-FOR, and REASON with raised eyebrows, and may also use a slight shake or tilt of the head?

a. "whq" or a "Wh"-question

b. "q" or a "YES/NO" question

c. "rhq" or a rhetorical question (* right answer)

d. "if" - a conditional sentence

2. What is the nonmanual marker for a rhetorical question?
Answer: Raised eyebrows, and may also use a slight shake or tilt of the head

3. What is the symbol for glossing of a rhetorical question?
Answer: The gloss for a rhetorical question is: * "rhet"

4. Raised eyebrows, a slight shake or tilt of the head paired with one of these signs: WHEN, WHO, WHAT, WHERE, FOR-FOR, and REASON is probably what type of question?
Answer: A rhetorical question

Question: When you ask a rhetorical "why" or answer someone else's question -- is there a sign for "because" or do you just skip signing "because" thus making the "because" concept implied?

Answer:
In general you should just skip signing "because" as part of rhetorical questions (since the concept of "because" is implied).

There is a sign for "because" but usually it is not necessary. Over-use of "because" is typically perceived by viewers as indicating a signer is not familiar with the type of signing done by skilled signers.

See: BECAUSE

This isn't to say that we never sign "because." We do. We just do it sparingly and only when it significantly contributes to creating the specific message we wish to convey.

American Sign Language Linguistics: "rhetorical questions"