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Assam Higher Secondary Skill Subject Sign Language study materials
Assam Higher Secondary Skill Subject Sign Language study resources

Assam Higher Secondary Skill Subject Sign Language practice questions

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Question 1Introduction to Sign Language and Deaf Community Awareness

In the study of sign languages, what does the term 'modality' refer to?

  1. The number of handshapes a sign language uses in its lexicon
  2. The physical channel through which a language is produced and perceived, such as visual-gestural versus auditory-vocal Correct answer.
  3. The age at which a deaf child first learns to read
  4. The social prestige attached to a particular regional dialect

Explanation

Modality describes the sensory-motor channel of a language. Spoken languages use the auditory-vocal modality, while sign languages use the visual-gestural modality. This distinction is central to understanding why sign languages organise grammar spatially rather than linearly.

Question 2Introduction to Sign Language and Deaf Community Awareness

Which statement best describes a sign language such as Indian Sign Language (ISL) or American Sign Language (ASL)?

  1. It is a simplified gesture system lacking syntax and morphology
  2. It is a universal system understood identically by deaf people in every country
  3. It is a manual code that maps word-for-word onto the surrounding spoken language
  4. It is a full natural language with its own grammar independent of spoken languages Correct answer.

Explanation

Sign languages are natural human languages with their own phonology, morphology, syntax and discourse rules. They are not manual versions of spoken languages and they are not universal. Each deaf community develops and transmits its own language across generations.

Question 3Introduction to Sign Language and Deaf Community Awareness

The five commonly cited parameters used to describe a sign are handshape, location, movement, orientation and which additional parameter?

  1. Non-manual features Correct answer.
  2. Intonation contour
  3. Pitch register
  4. Vowel length

Explanation

Sign phonology is usually described through handshape, location, movement, orientation and non-manual features such as facial expression and mouthing. Non-manual features can distinguish lexical items and mark grammatical questions. Intonation, vowels and pitch belong to spoken-language phonology.

Question 4Introduction to Sign Language and Deaf Community Awareness

A teacher uses an interpreter for a deaf student in a mainstream classroom. Which practice best reflects Deaf community norms?

  1. Address all remarks to the interpreter and avoid eye contact with the deaf student
  2. Speak directly to the deaf student and look at them while the interpreter voices their replies Correct answer.
  3. Instruct the deaf student to lip-read instead so the interpreter can be released
  4. Ask the interpreter to summarise only the main points to save classroom time

Explanation

Standard interpreting etiquette holds that hearing people address the deaf person directly, maintaining eye contact, while the interpreter relays meaning. This respects the deaf person as the primary participant in the conversation. Treating the interpreter as the conversation partner marginalises the deaf student.

Question 5Introduction to Sign Language and Deaf Community Awareness

What does the term 'Deaf' with a capital D most commonly signal in Deaf studies literature?

  1. A medical diagnosis of severe-to-profound hearing loss
  2. Membership in a cultural and linguistic community of deaf signers Correct answer.
  3. A person who lost hearing after learning spoken language
  4. Any person wearing a hearing aid or cochlear implant

Explanation

Capital-D 'Deaf' is used to mark cultural and linguistic identity, typically involving shared sign language and community participation. Lowercase 'deaf' usually refers to the audiological condition. The distinction lets writers separate identity from medical status.

Question 6Introduction to Sign Language and Deaf Community Awareness

A community health notice says 'hearing-impaired persons may collect forms at counter two'. Which revision follows current Deaf community preference most closely?

  1. Deaf and hard of hearing people may collect forms at counter two Correct answer.
  2. The hearing-disabled may collect forms at counter two
  3. Hearing-handicapped persons may collect forms at counter two
  4. Sufferers of hearing loss may collect forms at counter two

Explanation

Many deaf organisations prefer 'deaf and hard of hearing' because it is descriptive and identity-affirming rather than framing deafness as deficiency. Terms like 'sufferer' or 'hearing-handicapped' foreground impairment and are widely rejected. Neutral, person-respecting wording improves access to services.

Question 7Introduction to Sign Language and Deaf Community Awareness

A child is born deaf to hearing parents who have no signing experience. Which early intervention pattern is most consistent with research on language acquisition?

  1. Restrict input to lip-reading drills so the child focuses on speech alone
  2. Wait until a cochlear implant is fitted before providing any consistent language model
  3. Expose the child to a natural sign language as early as possible alongside spoken language input Correct answer.
  4. Delay all language input until the child starts formal schooling

Explanation

Early, consistent access to a natural language, signed or spoken, supports cognitive and linguistic development within the critical period. Deaf children with early sign language exposure typically show typical language milestones. Delaying input risks language deprivation.

Question 8Introduction to Sign Language and Deaf Community Awareness

In a sign language, changing only the movement of a sign while keeping handshape and location constant most often produces which result?

  1. A different but related lexical item or an aspectual modification Correct answer.
  2. A purely stylistic variation with no change in meaning
  3. A switch from the visual-gestural to the auditory-vocal modality
  4. A grammatical error that native signers cannot interpret

Explanation

Minimal pairs in sign languages can be formed by changing a single parameter. Altering movement alone can distinguish two lexical items or mark aspect, such as repeated or continuous action. This parallels phoneme contrasts in spoken languages.

Question 9Introduction to Sign Language and Deaf Community Awareness

Which feature of sign language grammar is most clearly absent from spoken languages and therefore illustrates modality-specific structure?

  1. Use of the signing space to establish and refer back to referents Correct answer.
  2. Use of subordinate clauses
  3. Use of question markers
  4. Use of plural morphology

Explanation

Sign languages exploit three-dimensional signing space to set up referents and later point back to them, a device without a direct spoken equivalent. Subordination, question marking and plural morphology occur in both modalities. This makes spatial reference a clear example of modality-specific grammar.

Question 10Introduction to Sign Language and Deaf Community Awareness

A deaf adult says they feel most included when a meeting provides a sign language interpreter and captioned materials. Which concept does this best illustrate?

  1. Accessibility and linguistic inclusion Correct answer.
  2. Assimilation
  3. Audism
  4. Oralism

Explanation

Providing interpreting and captions removes communication barriers so deaf people can participate on equal terms, which is the essence of accessibility and linguistic inclusion. Audism and oralism describe discriminatory or speech-only ideologies. Assimilation refers to absorbing a minority into a dominant group.

Question 11Introduction to Sign Language and Deaf Community Awareness

Which historical educational approach is characterised by forbidding sign language and emphasising speech and lip-reading?

  1. Total communication
  2. Mainstreaming with interpreters
  3. Bilingual-bicultural education
  4. Oralism Correct answer.

Explanation

Oralism is the philosophy that deaf students should be educated through speech and lip-reading, historically often banning sign language. It is associated with the 1880 Milan Congress resolution. Bilingual-bicultural and total communication approaches, by contrast, incorporate signing.

Question 12Introduction to Sign Language and Deaf Community Awareness

Why is it inaccurate to say that Indian Sign Language is 'just English on the hands'?

  1. Because ISL has its own word order and grammar that differ from English Correct answer.
  2. Because ISL uses no handshapes at all
  3. Because ISL is identical to American Sign Language
  4. Because ISL is only used in schools and not in families

Explanation

Sign languages have independent grammars; ISL word order and syntactic structures are not derived from English. Manually coded English, which follows English word order, is a different system. Equating ISL with English misrepresents its linguistic status.

Question 13Introduction to Sign Language and Deaf Community Awareness

A hearing person joins a Deaf community event and wants to behave appropriately. Which action shows the best understanding of community norms?

  1. Speaking loudly and slowly to make themselves understood
  2. Turning off the lights repeatedly to get the group's attention
  3. Getting attention by waving or tapping the table rather than shouting Correct answer.
  4. Staying at the edge and refusing to attempt any signing

Explanation

Visual attention-getting such as waving, light flicking or a gentle tap on the shoulder or table is standard in Deaf spaces. Shouting assumes hearing and disrupts the visual channel. Attempting signs, even imperfectly, is generally welcomed as respectful effort.

Question 14Introduction to Sign Language and Deaf Community Awareness

Which statement about the relationship between a sign language and the spoken language of the same country is most accurate?

  1. The sign language disappears once the spoken language is written widely
  2. The sign language may borrow through fingerspelling but keeps its own grammar Correct answer.
  3. The sign language is always a direct translation of the spoken language
  4. The sign language shares the same phoneme inventory as the spoken language

Explanation

Contact between a sign language and a surrounding spoken language can produce borrowing, such as fingerspelled words or mouthing, but the sign language retains its own grammar. Borrowing does not make it a translation of the spoken language. Written dominance does not replace a community's sign language.

Question 15Introduction to Sign Language and Deaf Community Awareness

A signer raises their eyebrows and tilts their head forward while signing a statement. In many sign languages this non-manual marker most likely signals which function?

  1. A plural subject
  2. A yes-no question Correct answer.
  3. A polite refusal
  4. A past tense reference

Explanation

Raised eyebrows with a forward head tilt commonly mark yes-no questions in many sign languages. Wh-questions often use lowered brows instead. Tense and number are usually carried by other means such as time signs or spatial modification.

Question 16Introduction to Sign Language and Deaf Community Awareness

Which argument best explains why deaf children of deaf signing parents tend to show typical language milestones?

  1. They inherit a gene that accelerates language learning
  2. They are taught to lip-read earlier than other deaf children
  3. They receive consistent, fully accessible sign language input from birth Correct answer.
  4. They are exposed to more spoken language than other deaf children

Explanation

The key factor is accessible input: deaf parents provide a natural sign language from birth, so the child's language acquisition follows typical timelines. This supports the view that modality is not the limiting factor, but access is. Genetics or lip-reading drills do not explain the pattern.

Question 17Introduction to Sign Language and Deaf Community Awareness

A school offers only 'total communication' sessions where signs follow English word order exactly. What is the main linguistic concern with treating this as the child's sign language?

  1. It may not provide a natural, fully grammatical sign language model Correct answer.
  2. It uses too many handshapes for young learners
  3. It requires the child to learn a foreign spoken language
  4. It prevents the child from learning to read

Explanation

Manually coded systems that mirror spoken word order are not natural languages and may not supply the full grammatical structure of a community sign language. Children need access to a complete natural language for healthy acquisition. Total communication can supplement but should not replace genuine sign language exposure.

Question 18Introduction to Sign Language and Deaf Community Awareness

Which scenario best illustrates the concept of audism?

  1. An employer refuses to hire a qualified deaf candidate because 'deaf people cannot lead meetings' Correct answer.
  2. A theatre provides captioned performances
  3. A school hires a deaf teacher who signs fluently
  4. A family learns sign language to communicate with their deaf child

Explanation

Audism is discrimination or prejudice based on the assumption that hearing and speech are superior. Refusing a qualified candidate on the grounds that deaf people cannot lead meetings is a clear example. The other scenarios show inclusion and access.

Question 19Introduction to Sign Language and Deaf Community Awareness

A researcher claims that because a sign language has no written form, it lacks a stable grammar. Which response is most defensible?

  1. The claim is false because sign languages have systematic grammar transmitted through community use, independent of writing Correct answer.
  2. The claim is correct because grammar requires writing
  3. The claim is correct because only spoken languages have syntax
  4. The claim is false because sign languages are written using fingerspelling

Explanation

Grammar is a property of the language system, not of writing. Sign languages show systematic phonological, morphological and syntactic patterns maintained by communities of users. Many spoken languages also lack widespread writing systems without being grammatically deficient.

Question 20Introduction to Sign Language and Deaf Community Awareness

In a bilingual-bicultural programme, which pairing of languages is typically used for a deaf child in India?

  1. Indian Sign Language and written/spoken English or the regional language Correct answer.
  2. Sanskrit and Hindi
  3. American Sign Language and French
  4. Braille and Morse code

Explanation

Bilingual-bicultural programmes for deaf learners pair a natural sign language, such as ISL, with the written and, where accessible, spoken language of the wider society. The goal is competence in both and pride in Deaf identity. Other pairings do not reflect the model.

Question 21Fingerspelling and Manual Alphabet

In the manual alphabet used in Indian Sign Language, how is the letter 'A' typically formed?

  1. Thumb and little finger extended, other fingers curled
  2. Index and middle fingers raised in a V shape
  3. Open palm with all five fingers spread wide
  4. Closed fist with the thumb resting alongside the index finger Correct answer.

Explanation

The letter A is made with a closed fist and the thumb held against the side of the curled index finger, keeping the hand compact. This closed shape contrasts with open-hand letters such as B and C, so learners must keep the fist firm rather than letting fingers splay.

Question 22Fingerspelling and Manual Alphabet

Which handshape represents the letter 'B' in fingerspelling?

  1. Four fingers straight and together, thumb folded across the palm Correct answer.
  2. Fingers curled into a fist with thumb across them
  3. Thumb touching the middle finger in a circle
  4. Index finger pointing up, other fingers curled

Explanation

For B, the four fingers are held straight and close together with the thumb folded across the palm, giving a flat, squared handshape. Keeping the fingers together distinguishes it from letters that use separated fingers.

Question 23Fingerspelling and Manual Alphabet

When fingerspelling a name in a signed conversation, what is the standard way to signal that fingerspelling is beginning?

  1. Point to the listener before spelling
  2. Hold the starting handshape briefly and slightly outward, then move smoothly through the letters Correct answer.
  3. Spell the letters as fast as possible with no pause
  4. Shake the hand sharply before each letter

Explanation

Fingerspelling is introduced by a brief hold on the first letter, often with a small outward orientation, so the receiver knows a spelled word is coming. The letters then flow smoothly without bouncing between each one.

Question 24Fingerspelling and Manual Alphabet

What does a slight circular movement of the fingerspelled hand, made after spelling a word, usually indicate?

  1. That the signer is finished with the whole sentence
  2. That the spelled word is a person's name Correct answer.
  3. That the word should be repeated
  4. That the signer made a mistake

Explanation

A small circular motion of the hand after spelling a word is a common convention marking that the spelled item is a proper name. It helps the receiver understand that the letters form a name rather than an ordinary word.

Question 25Fingerspelling and Manual Alphabet

Which letter is formed by extending the index finger and thumb to make an L shape while the other fingers are curled?

  1. J
  2. G
  3. L Correct answer.
  4. Y

Explanation

The letter L uses a right-angle shape: the index finger points up and the thumb extends sideways, with the remaining fingers curled. The straight lines of the two extended digits form the familiar L outline.

Question 26Fingerspelling and Manual Alphabet

Which letter requires a curved tracing motion rather than a single held handshape?

  1. N
  2. J Correct answer.
  3. M
  4. T

Explanation

J is produced by forming the I handshape and then tracing a downward curve with the little finger, so it is a moving letter. The other letters listed are static handshapes held in place.

Question 27Fingerspelling and Manual Alphabet

A learner spells a word but keeps pausing and resetting the hand to a neutral position between every letter. What is the main problem with this technique?

  1. It changes the meaning of each individual letter
  2. It makes the word look like several separate one-letter items and slows reception Correct answer.
  3. It signals that the signer wants the listener to repeat
  4. It is required only for names

Explanation

Constant resetting breaks the word into disconnected letters, so the receiver reads separate items instead of one continuous word. Smooth transitions between letters keep the word recognisable as a unit.

Question 28Fingerspelling and Manual Alphabet

Which pair of letters is most easily confused if the signer does not keep the fingers clearly separated?

  1. B and C
  2. O and C
  3. A and E
  4. U and V Correct answer.

Explanation

U and V differ mainly in whether the two extended fingers are held together or spread apart, so sloppy finger separation merges them. Clear spacing is what lets the receiver tell the two apart.

Question 29Fingerspelling and Manual Alphabet

Why is it useful to mouth the word silently while fingerspelling it?

  1. It shows the receiver that the word is a name
  2. It replaces the handshapes for difficult letters
  3. It is mandatory for every single letter
  4. It gives the receiver a second channel that supports lipreading and disambiguates similar handshapes Correct answer.

Explanation

Silent mouthing of the word provides extra visual information that supports lipreading and helps resolve handshapes that look alike. It supplements the manual letters rather than replacing them.

Question 30Fingerspelling and Manual Alphabet

A signer needs to spell a word containing a double letter, such as the two T's in a surname. What is the clearest way to show the repetition?

  1. Bounce the hand slightly between the two identical letters to show there are two Correct answer.
  2. Skip the second letter and mouth it instead
  3. Change the second letter to a similar shape
  4. Spell the letter once and rely on context

Explanation

A small bounce or lateral shift between two identical letters signals that the letter occurs twice, so the receiver does not read it as a single occurrence. The letter shape itself stays the same.

Question 31Fingerspelling and Manual Alphabet

In a two-handed manual alphabet system, what is the primary role of the passive hand?

  1. It spells the vowels while the active hand spells the consonants
  2. It provides a stable base or reference against which the active hand forms letters Correct answer.
  3. It repeats each letter after the active hand
  4. It is always kept behind the back

Explanation

In two-handed systems the passive hand acts as a fixed base or reference point, while the active hand contacts or positions against it to form letters. This division of labour is what defines a two-handed alphabet.

Question 32Fingerspelling and Manual Alphabet

A beginner signs the letter 'E' but the receiver reads it as 'A'. Which correction most likely resolves the confusion?

  1. Spread all fingers wide
  2. Rotate the palm to face the signer
  3. Extend the index finger upward
  4. Curl the fingertips down onto the thumb instead of resting the thumb alongside the index finger Correct answer.

Explanation

E is formed with the fingertips curved down to touch the thumb, whereas A keeps the thumb alongside a closed fist. Making the fingertips contact the thumb creates the compact E shape the receiver expects.

Question 33Fingerspelling and Manual Alphabet

Why do fingerspelling alphabets generally avoid handshapes that require extreme stretching or awkward joint angles?

  1. Because such shapes are reserved for numbers
  2. Because they are only used in formal settings
  3. Because awkward shapes slow production and reduce legibility during rapid spelling Correct answer.
  4. Because they cannot be photographed

Explanation

Letters that are comfortable and quick to form allow smooth, rapid spelling, whereas extreme stretches slow the signer and blur the shape for the receiver. Ease of production and clear legibility are practical design priorities.

Question 34Fingerspelling and Manual Alphabet

When reading fingerspelling, why is it helpful for the receiver to focus on the overall word rather than analysing each letter separately?

  1. Because the hand moves continuously and whole-word recognition keeps pace with the signer Correct answer.
  2. Because individual letters are meaningless on their own
  3. Because only the first and last letters matter
  4. Because letters change shape when combined

Explanation

Fingerspelling arrives as a continuous stream, so reading letter by letter lags behind the signer. Recognising the word as a whole pattern lets the receiver keep pace and fill in from context.

Question 35Fingerspelling and Manual Alphabet

A signer spells an unfamiliar technical term. Which strategy best supports the receiver?

  1. Spell it once very quickly and move on
  2. Spell only the first letter and gesture the rest
  3. Switch to writing in the air without any letters
  4. Spell it in clear segments with brief pauses, then repeat the whole word Correct answer.

Explanation

Unfamiliar terms are easier to capture when spelled in manageable segments with short pauses, followed by a full repetition. This chunking reduces memory load and lets the receiver confirm the word.

Question 36Fingerspelling and Manual Alphabet

Why is fingerspelling often used for proper nouns and technical vocabulary even in a language that has its own signs?

  1. Because grammar forbids signing names
  2. Because such items frequently lack an established sign and must be borrowed letter by letter Correct answer.
  3. Because fingerspelling is faster than signing
  4. Because signs cannot express names at all

Explanation

Names, brands, and specialist terms often have no conventional sign, so they are borrowed from the spoken language through fingerspelling. This borrowing mechanism keeps the signed language open to new vocabulary.

Question 37Fingerspelling and Manual Alphabet

A region adapts a borrowed manual alphabet to fit local phonology and existing signs. What does this process best illustrate?

  1. That only spoken languages borrow vocabulary
  2. That handshapes have universal meaning across all sign languages
  3. That fingerspelling systems are living conventions shaped by community use Correct answer.
  4. That manual alphabets are fixed and cannot change

Explanation

Manual alphabets are community conventions that get reshaped as they are adopted, showing they are living systems rather than fixed codes. Adaptation to local signing habits is evidence of that ongoing change.

Question 38Fingerspelling and Manual Alphabet

In a fingerspelled sequence, a signer briefly holds the final letter and then moves the hand to the next sign. What communicative function does this hold most likely serve?

  1. It signals that the signer wants a break
  2. It indicates that the word is misspelled
  3. It marks the end of the spelled word and separates it from the following sign Correct answer.
  4. It converts the word into a question

Explanation

A brief hold on the last letter creates a boundary that tells the receiver the spelled word has ended before the next sign begins. Without such boundaries, spelled words can blur into the surrounding signing.

Question 39Fingerspelling and Manual Alphabet

Why can heavy reliance on fingerspelling for everyday vocabulary be problematic for a young deaf learner acquiring a signed language?

  1. Because children cannot move their fingers
  2. Because fingerspelling is always forbidden in schools
  3. Because fingerspelling has no letters for common words
  4. Because it ties everyday communication to the written/spoken language and can slow natural sign acquisition if overused Correct answer.

Explanation

When fingerspelling substitutes for established signs, the child's everyday vocabulary becomes dependent on the spoken language's spelling rather than on native sign lexicon. Balanced exposure to genuine signs supports more natural acquisition.

Question 40Fingerspelling and Manual Alphabet

A receiver misses one letter in a long spelled word but catches the rest. What is the most efficient repair strategy?

  1. Ask the signer to spell the entire word again from the start
  2. Guess the word and continue without confirming
  3. Indicate the position of the missed letter and ask for just that segment Correct answer.
  4. Abandon the word and change the topic

Explanation

Pinpointing the missed position lets the signer re-spell only that segment, which is faster and less disruptive than repeating everything. Targeted repair keeps the conversation moving.

Question 41Basic Vocabulary and Everyday Signs

In Indian Sign Language, which handshape is commonly used to represent the number 'five' on its own?

  1. A fist with only the index finger raised
  2. A closed fist with the thumb tucked across the fingers
  3. An open palm with all four fingers and thumb extended Correct answer.
  4. A flat palm with the thumb folded into the palm

Explanation

Counting signs in ISL follow a visually transparent pattern: five is shown by extending all fingers and the thumb on an open hand. This mirrors the quantity directly, which is why number signs are among the earliest taught in the basic vocabulary unit. Learners should keep the palm orientation steady so the count remains readable.

Question 42Basic Vocabulary and Everyday Signs

When signing a polite greeting such as 'namaste' in ISL, what is the standard non-manual and manual combination?

  1. A single raised index finger pointed at the listener
  2. Both hands waving side to side above the head
  3. A clenched fist tapped twice on the chest
  4. Palms pressed together near the chest with a slight bow of the head Correct answer.

Explanation

The respectful greeting is produced by joining the palms near the chest while the head dips slightly, carrying the polite register through the whole body. Non-manual markers such as the head bow are part of the sign, not decoration. A pointed finger or raised waving hand would change the meaning and the politeness level.

Question 43Basic Vocabulary and Everyday Signs

A learner signs 'mother' but the hand contacts the chin instead of the forehead area used for 'father'. What does this contact location distinction show?

  1. Movement path is the only parameter that matters in ISL
  2. Handshape alone determines meaning, so the sign is unchanged
  3. Facial expression carries all meaning, so location is irrelevant
  4. Location on the body is a meaningful parameter that can change the sign's meaning Correct answer.

Explanation

Signs are built from parameters including handshape, location, movement, orientation and non-manual features. Changing the contact point from the upper face to the lower face can turn a family sign into a different one. This is why basic vocabulary lessons pair each kinship sign with its exact contact location.

Question 44Basic Vocabulary and Everyday Signs

Which description best matches the ISL sign for 'water' as taught in basic everyday vocabulary?

  1. A 'W' handshape tapped near the mouth or chin Correct answer.
  2. An open hand shaken beside the ear
  3. Both fists circled in front of the chest
  4. A flat hand moved across the forehead

Explanation

Drinking-related signs are often anchored near the mouth, and the 'W' handshape at the mouth or chin is the conventional way to sign water. The mouth location iconically links the sign to drinking. Other locations such as the forehead or ear belong to unrelated signs.

Question 45Basic Vocabulary and Everyday Signs

A student wants to ask 'What is your name?' in ISL. Which sequence of signs is most appropriate?

  1. YOUR NAME WHAT Correct answer.
  2. NAME MY WHAT YOU
  3. WHAT YOUR IS NAME
  4. YOU WHAT NAME MY

Explanation

ISL question formation typically places the wh-sign at the end of the clause, with the possessor or topic first. So 'your name' comes before the question sign 'what'. Keeping the wh-sign final, together with raised eyebrows, marks the utterance clearly as a question.

Question 46Basic Vocabulary and Everyday Signs

Which non-manual feature typically accompanies a wh-question in ISL?

  1. Lowered or furrowed eyebrows held through the question Correct answer.
  2. A rapid side-to-side headshake during the whole clause
  3. Raised eyebrows held throughout the question
  4. Eyes closed for the duration of the question

Explanation

Wh-questions in ISL are marked by lowered or furrowed brows, often with a slight forward head tilt. Yes/no questions instead use raised brows. These non-manual markers are grammatical and must be produced together with the manual signs.

Question 47Basic Vocabulary and Everyday Signs

To sign 'I am a student' in ISL, which element is normally omitted because the language does not require it?

  1. The noun 'student'
  2. The pronoun 'I'
  3. The subject reference
  4. The copula verb 'am' Correct answer.

Explanation

ISL does not use a spoken-language copula like 'am' or 'is' between a subject and a noun predicate. The signs for 'I' and 'student' are simply juxtaposed, often with a head nod. Omitting the copula is grammatical, not an error.

Question 48Basic Vocabulary and Everyday Signs

A signer wants to show that an action happened in the past without using a separate time word. Which strategy fits ISL?

  1. Raise the eyebrows and tilt the head backward for past time
  2. Add an English '-ed' handshape after every verb
  3. Repeat the verb three times to indicate past
  4. Produce the time marker first, then the action sign, to set the time frame Correct answer.

Explanation

ISL establishes a time frame early in the utterance, and later signs are interpreted within that frame. A past time sign placed first sets the reference point for the whole clause. English morphological endings are not borrowed into ISL verbs.

Question 49Basic Vocabulary and Everyday Signs

Which of these is the correct way to sign the number 'ten' in ISL counting?

  1. A flat hand placed on the opposite palm
  2. A single index finger raised and shaken
  3. Both hands fully open with fingers spread
  4. A closed fist with the thumb extended upward Correct answer.

Explanation

In the ISL number system, ten is shown by a closed fist with the thumb extended. This follows the progression from the open hand used for five. Keeping the fist compact makes the count easy to read at a distance.

Question 50Basic Vocabulary and Everyday Signs

In ISL, how are plural nouns like 'books' commonly expressed?

  1. By signing the noun with the non-dominant hand only
  2. By lowering the hand position for each noun
  3. By adding an 's' handshape after every noun
  4. By repeating the noun sign or adding a plural marker such as 'many' Correct answer.

Explanation

ISL does not spell out English plural endings on nouns. Plurality is shown through repetition of the noun sign, a quantity sign, or a numeral. The choice depends on whether the number is known or indefinite.