Referents

1. What are they?

2. When are they used?

3. BSL features

1. What are they?

Referents identify who or what is being talked about.

How? By hand shape - pointing

2. When are they used?

Referents are used to replace a noun.

They are the same as a pronoun in English.

Examples of pronouns: he, she, it, they

3. BSL features of referentsi. Not gender specific

BSL referents do not show the gender of who is being talked about.

ii. Number

In English pronouns are singular or plural

In English, pronouns show gender - he, she

Referents can indicate how many objects/people

iii. Location

Referents allocate objects/people a location in space.

And finally

Referents are mostly identified by pointing.

But a closed fist is used for possessive pronouns

Examples of possessive pronouns: mine, yours, his