Which category includes examples like CALL-BY-PHONE and UPRIGHT-PERSON-WALK-TO?

• A. Depicting Verbs
• B. Indicating Verbs
• C. Reciprocal Verbs
• D. Locative Verbs

Answer: (A)

Depicting verbs in ASL illustrate actions by using the signer’s body and space to show how something is done, often including the instrument, manner, and path. CALL-BY-PHONE and UPRIGHT-PERSON-WALK-TO fit this because they visualize the action rather than merely naming it. When signing CALL-BY-PHONE, the gesture combines the idea of a phone with the act of calling in a way that evokes the scene of using a phone to make a call. The sign UPRIGHT-PERSON-WALK-TO shows a person standing upright and moving along a path toward a destination, using posture and locomotion to depict the event. Such signs provide a vivid image of the action, which is characteristic of depicting verbs. In contrast, indicating verbs convey motion in a more abstract or directional way without a full depiction of the scene, locative verbs focus on position rather than action details, and reciprocal verbs describe actions that are exchanged between participants.