In ASL conceptually, which phrase best asks someone about their occupation?

In ASL conceptually, which phrase best asks someone about their occupation?

• A. 'What do you do for work?'
• B. 'What is your occupation?' with appropriate non-manual signals.
• C. 'Where do you work?'
• D. 'How old are you?'

Answer: (B)

Asking about someone's occupation in ASL relies on using the right sign for the concept (occupation or job) and applying WH-question grammar with proper non-manual signals to mark that you’re asking for information. The best choice uses the standard sign for occupation and pairs it with a what-question structure, along with appropriate facial expressions to indicate a question. This makes the request clear and unambiguous: you’re seeking information about the person’s job, not where they work or something unrelated like their age. In ASL, this combination—the correct lexical sign plus correct non-manual signals for a WH-question—creates a natural, respectful, and easily understood query about a person’s occupation. The other options either ask for a different detail (where they work) or are not relevant to occupation at all, so they don’t communicate the intended request as precisely.

Asking about someone's occupation in ASL relies on using the right sign for the concept (occupation or job) and applying WH-question grammar with proper non-manual signals to mark that you’re asking for information. The best choice uses the standard sign for occupation and pairs it with a what-question structure, along with appropriate facial expressions to indicate a question. This makes the request clear and unambiguous: you’re seeking information about the person’s job, not where they work or something unrelated like their age. In ASL, this combination—the correct lexical sign plus correct non-manual signals for a WH-question—creates a natural, respectful, and easily understood query about a person’s occupation. The other options either ask for a different detail (where they work) or are not relevant to occupation at all, so they don’t communicate the intended request as precisely.