The word “grammar” means the inner workings or system of a language. Did you know that sign language has its own grammar system? Just as there are subjects, objects, tenses and parts of speech in written and spoken language, there are unique ways to identify these aspects of communication in sign language. Facial gestures such as head nodding and raised or lowered eyebrows are part of the grammar. Sign languages develop within deaf communities, and thus the grammar and signs used differ from one deaf community to another. American Sign Language (ASL) differs from British Sign Language (BSL) just as American English differs from British English.