Signed Exact English

A manually coded sign system that represents spoken English visually by following English grammar, word order, and morphology rather than using the natural grammar of American Sign Language (ASL). Unlike ASL, which is a distinct language with its own syntax and structure, Signed Exact English includes signs for English morphemes such as verb tenses ("-ed", "-ing"), plurals, and articles that do not exist in ASL. SEE was developed in the 1970s as an educational tool intended to help deaf children learn English literacy. However, it has been criticised by many in the Deaf community as unnatural and difficult to use in fluent conversation, as it lacks the spatial grammar, classifiers, and non-manual markers that make sign languages efficient and expressive.