Holding Facial Markers
Facial grammar usually lasts over the part of the sentence it controls. Do not flash it for only one tiny moment.
Learn It
Start with the simple version, then practice it with real signs.
A facial marker is the face or head position that marks the grammar.
For a simple yes/no question, hold the raised eyebrows through the whole question.
For a WH question, the furrow may cover the whole question or become strongest on the WH sign.
Try It
Practice slowly. Make the face before the sentence is over.
- Sign TOMORROW YOU WORK? and keep raised eyebrows through all three signs.
- Sign YOU GO WHERE? and make the furrow strongest at WHERE.
- Record yourself and check whether your face drops too early.
Simple Examples
Read the ASL line first, then check the meaning and face cue.
TOMORROW YOU WORK?Do you work tomorrow?Raised eyebrows stay on the full question.YOU GO WHERE?Where are you going?The WH face can build toward WHERE.Common Mistake
Do not smile, relax, or look away before the question is finished. Dropping the face too early can make the sentence unclear.
A little more grammar
The PDF calls this the syntactic domain. That means the marker has a span: it covers the word, phrase, or sentence part that it belongs to.