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# Lesson 2.1: Grade 1 Symbol Indicator

## Symbols

$\text{grade 1 symbol indicator}$

$\text{grade 1 word indicator}$
⠰⠰

$\text{grade 1 passage indicator}$
⠰⠰⠰

$\text{grade 1 terminator}$
⠰⠄

## Explanation

A braille symbol may have a grade 1 meaning and a contracted (grade 2) meaning. Some symbols also have a numeric meaning. Grade 1 indicators are used to set grade 1 mode to identify the subsequent symbol(s) with a grade 1 meaning. There are grade 1 indicators for a symbol, a word, or a passage (three or more words or symbol sequences). Grade 1 mode is also set by the numeric indicator. The grade 1 symbol indicator is explained here, while the grade 1 word and passage indicators will be covered in a later section.

The grade 1 symbol indicator, dots five six, sets grade 1 mode for the next individual symbol. It is used before a braille symbol that may have a grade 2 meaning. The numeric indicator also turns on Grade 1 mode. When grade 1 mode is turned on by the numeric indicator, it is terminated by a space, hyphen, dash, or grade 1 terminator.

When a single lower-case letter a-j immediately follows a digit, a grade 1 indicator must be used to identify it as a letter and not a digit. In Example 1, a lower-case letter g follows the numeral 22 with no intervening space. The numeric indicator turned on both numeric mode and grade 1 mode; however the dots representing the letter g can also be read as the digit seven in numeric mode. The grade 1 symbol indicator is needed to turn on grade 1 mode for this symbol. Inserting a grade 1 indicator at this point will also turn off numeric mode.

### Example 1

$22\text{g}$
⠼⠃⠃⠰⠛

In Example 2 the numeral 22 is followed by an upper-case letter G with no intervening space. The numeric indicator turned on both numeric mode and grade 1 mode; however the capital indicator turns off numeric mode. A grade 1 indicator is not needed. The dots will only have a grade 1 meaning of the letter G.

### Example 2

$22\text{G}$
⠼⠃⠃⠠⠛

In Example 3, the numeral 22 is followed by a lower-case letter p with no intervening space. The numeric indicator turned on both numeric mode and grade 1 mode. The dots representing the letter p have no numeric meaning and the letter does not stand alone therefore it will only be read as the letter p.

### Example 3

$22\text{p}$
⠼⠃⠃⠏

In Example 4, a digit immediately follows the lower-case letter g. The grade 1 indicator precedes the g so the dots will be seen as a letter. The grade 1 indicator turns off numeric mode therefore the numeric indicator must be repeated before the next digit.

### Example 4

$22\text{g}2$
⠼⠃⠃⠰⠛⠼⠃

In Example 5, a digit immediately follows an upper-case letter G. The capital indicator turns off numeric mode therefore no grade 1 indicator is needed before the G. Numeric mode must be turned on again for the digit that follows the G.

$22\text{G}2$
⠼⠃⠃⠠⠛⠼⠃