Exclamatory sentences express strong emotions like surprise or excitement. They often start with 'What' or 'How' (What a beautiful day!), but can also be simple exclamations (Wow!). These sentences end with an exclamation mark and differ from declarative sentences, which state facts. To form an exclamation, add an interjection or expression of surprise. Common errors include incorrect punctuation or misuse of 'what' and 'how'.
An exclamatory sentence is a type of sentence that expresses strong emotion, excitement, surprise, or other intense feelings. It often ends with an exclamation mark (!) to convey the heightened emotion. Exclamatory sentences can be statements, commands, or questions, but they always emphasize the speaker's emotional reaction.
An exclamatory sentence is a sentence that conveys strong emotion or feeling and ends with an exclamation mark. It is used to express excitement, joy, anger, surprise, or other intense emotions.
Exclamatory sentences are used to express strong emotions or feelings. They often end with an exclamation mark (!). Here are the main types of exclamatory sentences:
Structure of Exclamatory Sentences
'What' + Noun Phrase + (Verb) + (Rest of the Sentence)!
'How' + Adjective/Adverb + (Subject) + (Verb)!
Declarative Sentence + Exclamation Mark
Interjection + Exclamation Mark
| Feature | Exclamatory Sentence | Declarative Sentence |
|---|---|---|
| Purpose | Expresses strong emotion, excitement, surprise, or enthusiasm | States a fact, opinion, or general statement |
| Punctuation | Ends with an exclamation mark (`!`) | Ends with a period (`.`) |
| Tone | Emotional, intense, dramatic | Neutral, informative, straightforward |
| Examples | What a beautiful day it is! - I can't believe we won! - How amazing this place is! |
It is a beautiful day. - We won the game. - This place is amazing. |
In short, exclamatory sentences express strong emotions, while declarative sentences provide information in a neutral manner.
Below are the key rules for forming exclamatory sentences:
1. Using 'What' + Noun Phrase: This structure is used when emphasizing a noun.
Formula: What + (a/an) + Adjective + Noun + (Subject + Verb)!
Examples:
Note: Use 'a' or 'an' before singular countable nouns.
2. Using 'How' + Adjective/Adverb: This structure is used to emphasize the 'quality' of something.
Formula: How + Adjective/Adverb + (Subject + Verb)!
Examples:
3. Transforming a Declarative Sentence into an Exclamatory One: You can change a 'simple statement' into an exclamatory sentence by adding emphasis and an exclamation mark.
Examples:
4. Using Interjections for Exclamation: Interjections add strong emotions at the beginning of an exclamatory sentence.
Examples:
Note: The interjection is usually followed by a 'comma' or 'exclamation mark'.
5. Using Imperative Sentences with Strong Emotion: Imperatives (commands or requests) can be exclamatory when expressing urgency or strong feelings.
Examples:
6. Using Negative Exclamatory Sentences: Exclamatory sentences can also express negative emotions like disappointment or frustration.
Examples:
Converting other sentence types (declarative, interrogative, or imperative) to exclamatory sentences involves adding emotional emphasis, often through tone, punctuation, or specific words. Here's how you can do it:
Declarative to Exclamatory: A declarative sentence states a fact or opinion. To make it exclamatory, add strong emotions and an exclamation mark.
Interrogative to Exclamatory: An interrogative sentence asks a question. To convert it, rephrase it as an exclamation, expressing strong emotion.
Imperative to Exclamatory: An imperative sentence gives a command or request. To make it exclamatory, emphasize urgency or excitement.
Interjections are words or phrases used to express sudden emotions or feelings. They are often found in exclamatory sentences to convey strong emotions such as surprise, joy, anger, sadness, or excitement. In such cases, they are usually followed by an exclamation mark (!).
Examples of Interjections in Exclamatory Sentences
Key Points to Remember
Exclamatory sentences express strong emotions such as excitement, surprise, anger, or joy. They always end with an exclamation mark (!). Here are some key points about punctuation in exclamatory sentences:
Ending with an Exclamation Mark ✓ What a beautiful sunset! ✘ What a beautiful sunset.
Using Interjections with Exclamation Marks
Exclamatory Sentences Starting with ‘What’ or ‘How’
Avoid Overuse of Exclamation Marks: Using too many exclamation marks in formal writing can make the text seem unprofessional.
Here are some exclamatory sentences that do not use 'what' or 'how':
Common errors in exclamatory sentences typically arise due to incorrect punctuation, improper sentence structure, or misuse of exclamatory words. Here are some common mistakes:
Using a Period Instead of an Exclamation Mark
✘ What a beautiful day. ✓ What a beautiful day!
Using Multiple Exclamation Marks
✘ That was amazing!!! ✓ That was amazing! (One exclamation mark is enough for emphasis in formal writing.)
Forgetting Proper Word Order in "What" and "How" Sentences
✘ How a beautiful place this is! ✓ What a beautiful place this is! ✘ What cold it is today! ✓ How cold it is today!
Using an Exclamation Mark with an Interrogative Sentence
✘ How did you do that!? ✓ How did you do that? (if asking a question) ✓ How amazingly you did that! (if exclaiming)
Using a Comma Instead of an Exclamation Mark
✘ Wow, this cake is delicious. ✓ Wow! This cake is delicious!
Not Capitalizing the First Word in an Exclamatory Sentence
✘ oh no! I forgot my keys! ✓ Oh no! I forgot my keys!
Overusing Exclamatory Sentences: Too many exclamations can reduce their impact and make writing feel unprofessional or exaggerated.