Rhetorical Questions

1. Rhetorical Questions What are they really? statements.

2. Are Rhetorical questions fun? yeah. • Am I ready to teach you? Yes.

3. Structure of rhetorical questions • English: I fingerspell slowly. • ASL: I FINGERSPELL HOW? SLOWLY • English: I like ASL class best. • ASL: CLASS I LIKE BEST WHAT? ASL Sure we could sign these without using the Rhet. Q. So what’s the point? The point of showing this example is to showthe structure with familiar statements, and prove they are, in fact, statements.

4. Rhetorical questions • Are typically used • To highlight a point • I live in a haunted house. • I live where? In a haunted house. • In place of because (WHY) • I like it because it makes Halloween fun. • I like it why? Halloween is fun. • For negation • Some trick or treaters don’t want to come. • Trick or treaters want to come? Some not. • Preposition (Where) • It’s always on the front porch. • Shows up where? Front porch.

5. Grammar Yes/No grammar for the question part no matter if it is a yes/noor a wh. Affirmation for the answer part if it is a wh. word. If it is a negation answer, we use head shake. If it is an affirmation we use head nod.

6. Structure and Grammar together • English: I fingerspell slowly. BROWS UP,HEAD TILT,LEAN IN HAED NOD • ASL: I FINGERSPELL HOW? SLOWLY • English: I like ASL class best • BROWS UP, HEAD TILT,LEAN IN HEAD NOD • ASL: CLASS I LIKE BEST WHAT? ASL

7. Hmmm, can’t I say the same thing using topic comment? YES: I fingerspell slowly. I like ASL class best.

8. Reasons to use a rhet.q? • Emphasis or highlight • Instead of because • For Negation • Prepositions

9. Highlight President Abraham Lincoln signed a charter in 1864, establishing Gallaudet University in Washington DC. It is the only university in the entire world that caters to the Deaf. 1864 HAPPEN? LINCOLN SIGNED DECISION ESTABLISH GALLAUDET UNIVERSITY WASHINGTON D.C. ONLY UNIVERSITY WORLD (SUPPORT,FOCUS,CATER-TO) WHO? DEAF STUDENT

10. Why? Instead of because • My homework is wet because it is raining. • I stopped because I finished. • I want your homework because mine isn’t finished. • I fingerspell because I don’t know the sign.

11. Where? For PREPOSITION • What is a preposition? • A word that describes the physical relationship between two things. • Words like: at, in, on, under, next to, above, between…

12. Prepositions in English • My homework is at school. • My cat is under the chair. • The squirrel is in the tree. • My school is in Vancouver. • Your shoes are on the table.

13. ASL uses rhet.qWhere • My homework is at school. • MY HOMEWORK WHERE? SCHOOL • My cat is under the chair. • MY CAT WHERE? CHAIR UNDER • The squirrel is in the tree. • SQUIRREL WHERE? TREE THERE • My school is in Vancouver. • MY SCHOOL WHERE? VANCOUVER • Your shoes are on the table. • YOUR SHOES WHERE? TABLE ON THERE

14. Practice 1 • My homework is at home. • I fingerspell because I don’t know the sign. • My teacher is in class. • Your students are at school. • My teacher is cool because she fingerspells slowly.

15. Practice 2 • I don’t like English class. • I want to learn more sign language, because it is fun. • B-o-b doesn’t want more homework. • I have your hat because you gave it to me. • Your hat is on the table.

16. Homework • Create 9 statements. • 3 statements without: preposition or because • 3 prepositions (circle the preposition) • 3 because sentences Know how to sign them using rhet q. Try signing them not using rhet q.