INDICATING TENSE IN ASL

In ASL the tense of the sentence is determined by the Time Indicator (TI).  Not all time signs are used as time indicators.  Time indicators are used to refer us to a specific time in the past, present or future.

Time Signs (does not indicate when)

DAY               SUNDAY, MONDAY, TUESDAY, WEDNESDAY,
WEEK                 THURSDAY, FRIDAY, SATURDAY
MONTH
YEAR

 

Common time indicator glosses:

(PRESENT)
NOW-DAY       THIS-WEEK            THIS-MONTH        THIS-YEAR
 

(PAST)
YESTERDAY      LAST-WEEK            LAST-MONTH        LAST-YEAR
                  2-WEEK-AGO     
 
(FUTURE)
TOMORROW    NEXT-WEEK             NEXT-MONTH       NEXT-YEAR
                 3-WEEK-FUTURE        4-MONTH FUTURE

(EACH)
DAILY           WEEKLY                  MONTHLY            YEARLY

 

UP-UNTIL-NOW             UNTIL                        FROM-NOW-ON
BEFORE                      AFTER                        BREAKFAST
ALL-DAY                     DAILY                        LUNCH
ALL-MORNING               EVERY-MORNING            DINNER
ALL-NIGHT                  EVERY-NIGHT

Clock Time:

0'Clock      1:00        3:00        4:15        9:00        12:00   

AM

PM

NOT     NO/NONE       AT (index - point to location)

Practice signing the following English sentences in ASL.   To determine verb tense of the sentence, place time indicator signs at the beginning of the ASL sentence - this is one form of topicalization or topic-comment structure as it is often called.

Example:  I was absent last Thursday.   
                   PAST THURSDAY  ME ABSENT

1.    I met my girlfriend yesterday.

2.    Two weeks from today is (date)!

3.    This year I am not a student at Seattle Pacific University.

4.    I go home at 5 pm Mondays and Wednesdays.

5.    I met my Spanish teacher last month. 

6.    So far I've taken French and math classes at Tacoma
       Community College.

7.    I wasn't here last week.  From now on I'll come to class daily.

8.    Tomorrow, my lunch break is at 1:00 pm.