Conversational repairs are used for several reasons and fulfil various communicative functions. Generally, repairs serve to correct a statement which is considered wrong by the signer or the addressee. Repairs can also be used to add a comment to the content expressed by the turn-holder. Moreover, repairs occur when the signer is looking for a specific sign or when s/he tries a self-rephrasing. Repairs can be realised manually (e.g. a manual negation) or non-manually (e.g. a head shake). A strategy which is common in sign languages is represented by repairs connected with the signing space. An example of corrective repair capitalising on the signing space is presented below.
A: two twin ix1 be_familar ixa s-a-r-aa ixb m-a-r-c-ob ix3b hair black ix3a hair blond
B: not, ix3a black ix3b blond contrary
‘I know two twins: Sara and Marco, he has black hair and she is blond.’ ‘No, she has black hair and he has blond hair. It’s the opposite.’