The mechanisms of macroscopic ductile deformation of brittle ceramics during grinding operations are still unclear although the microcracking-free processes of grinding have been used widely in industry. This paper analyses the dislocation structure in the plastic zones of scratched alumina. It is shown that there exist three independent slip systems (two basal and one prism) and two twin systems even far below the critical onset temperatures of these systems that is usually expected. This new finding explains the formation mechanism of the macroscopic deformation induced by scratching and indicates that it is the stress field around the cutting edge which plays an important role in the activation of the slip systems. The present study offers a new insight into the mechanism understanding of material removal in ductile-regime grinding of ceramic materials.