English uses conjunctions such as "and," "but," and "if," which are not always possible to replicate in American Sign Language (ASL). In ASL, you convey information through body language, hand placement, sentence structure, facial expressions, and body movements instead of using conjunctions like in English. This simplifies conversations and ensures clear communication.

Verbs in ASL are complex due to changes in tense, aspect, voice, and alignment with other elements in the conversation. Understanding how verbs work in ASL is essential for recognizing them and selecting the correct form. This basic understanding will help learners navigate different verb forms effectively.

Conjunctions

• English uses many conjunctions such as "and", "but", and "if", which are simply not always possible to reproduce in ASL.
• ASL conveys specific information without those conjunctions using body language, hand placement, sentence structure, facial expressions, and body movements.
• Example: Instead of saying "The man received a book and then read it," in ASL, you would sign "Man," "received," "book," "read," "book," and convey the conjunctions through non-manual signs and body language.
• By simplifying conversations and dropping unnecessary words used in English, ASL communication becomes clearer.

Verbs

• Verbs in ASL are complex, changing based on tense, aspect, voice, and alignment with other parts of the conversation.
• Understanding how verbs work in ASL is crucial for recognizing them and choosing the correct form.
• Basic knowledge of verb workings helps learners navigate various verb forms effectively in conversations.

*Visual images from www.babysignlanguage.com