To sign 'how was', you will combine the signs for 'past' (was) and 'how'. First, raise your dominant hand near your shoulder with an open flat hand, palm facing backward, and move it back over your shoulder to indicate the past. Next, bring both hands in front of your chest with fingers curved and knuckles touching. Roll both hands forward and outward until your palms are facing up. Remember to furrow your eyebrows, as this is a 'wh-' question!
Establish the topic first by signing 'YOUR WEEKEND', then follow up with the sequence for 'WAS HOW' while furrowing your eyebrows.
Sign 'MOVIE' first, then sign 'WAS HOW' at the end of the sentence to ask the question.
Start with the time and topic by signing 'TODAY WORK', and finish with 'WAS HOW' to complete the question.
Establish the topic first by signing 'YOUR WEEKEND', then follow up with the sequence for 'WAS HOW' while furrowing your eyebrows.
Sign 'MOVIE' first, then sign 'WAS HOW' at the end of the sentence to ask the question.
Start with the time and topic by signing 'TODAY WORK', and finish with 'WAS HOW' to complete the question.
Not always! In ASL, once the past tense is established in a conversation, you don't need to keep repeating it. If the context is clear, simply signing 'HOW' is often enough.
In ASL, furrowed eyebrows act as a grammatical marker for 'wh-' questions (who, what, where, when, why, how). It signals to the other person that you are asking a question that requires more than a yes or no answer.
While you might see variations, ASL grammar typically places the question word at the end of the sentence. Signing 'WAS HOW' is a very natural and grammatically correct structure.
