15.1 Yes-No Questions

Yes-No Questions.
In English these types of questions simply require the answer “Yes” or “No”.  This type of response is rare in BSL. In BSL questions are frequently answered by repeating a word from the question, for example:

Q: AGREE YOU?
A: AGREE (ME)   or  DISAGREE (ME).


Q: READ  BOOK BEEN (YOU)?
A: BEEN ME  or  ME NOT-YET


Q:  BOOK READ WILL (YOU)?
A:  WILL (ME)    or     WON’T (ME)

English speakers don’t always respond with the actual words ‘yes’ or ‘no’.  They might use words like "absolutely" and "definitely" and phrases such as "I quite agree" instead.  We see these in BSL too, for example; TRUE, RIGHT (YOU), and AGREE (ME).

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