To continue with our language lesson, a pronoun is a small class of words that are use to replace or substitute a noun or noun phrase e.g. The person (noun) walks away vs He (pronoun) walks away. The following pronouns are used in SASL:
| Pronoun: | Videos/Image: How to sign the concept |
| Pronoun: I |  |
| Pronoun: He/She |  |
| Pronoun: You |  |
| Pronoun: Your |  |
| Pronoun: Yourself |  |
| Pronoun: My |  |
| Pronoun: Me |  |
| Pronoun: Mine |  |
| Pronoun: Our |  |
| Pronoun: Own |  |
| Pronoun: That |  |
| Pronoun: We |  |
| Pronoun: Self |  |
| Pronoun: All |  |
| Pronoun: Any |  |
| Pronoun: Another |  |
| Pronoun: Each |  |
| Pronoun: Somebody |  |
Pronouns in Sign Language sentence structure
Sign language sentence structure when using pronouns may also look different from standard English. For example (A - standard english structure, B - sign language structure):
A: I (pronoun) don't like (verb) his behaviour (object).
B: His behaviour (object) I (pronoun) don't like (verb)
A: His mother is a teacher.
B: Teacher his mother.
A: Maybe you forgot it.
B: You forget it maybe.
A: I hate your style.
B: Your style I hate.
A: Mine is the best.
B: Best mine.
A: I find your pen next to mine.
B: Your pen next me I find.
A: He walks on his own.
B: His own he walk.
A: I know that.
B: That I know.
A: Their father is here.
B: Their father here.
A: Why take all of it?
B: Take it all why?
A: Their father is here.
B: Their father here.
Self-test:
Change the following sentences into sign language structure:
- I need to finish it today.
- She'll do it later.
- I think you are joking.
- Why did you steal my pen?
- We go to visit our father.
- I don't understand their problem.
- I'm thinking about that.
- I'll buy another.
The answers:
- I need finish today.
- She do later.
- You joking I think.
- You stole my pen why?
- Our father we go visit.
- Their problem I don't understand.
- That I thinking.
- Another I buy.