Freelingual.com🇬🇧

The Free Resource for English Learners

What Is An Exclamatory Sentence?

An exclamatory sentence is a type of sentence that expresses strong emotions or feelings such as joy, surprise, anger, or excitement, and it ends with an exclamation mark (!).

Definition and Purpose of Exclamatory Sentences

An exclamatory sentence is a type of sentence that conveys intense emotion. Whether it's joy, surprise, anger, or excitement, these sentences help you express what you're feeling.

For instance, "What a beautiful day!" expresses delight, while "How frustrating!" shows annoyance.

The primary purpose of exclamatory sentences is to convey strong emotions effectively. They are essential in both written and spoken English to add emphasis and express feelings vividly.

Structure of Exclamatory Sentences

The structure of an exclamatory sentence is straightforward. It usually starts with a word like "what" or "how" and ends with an exclamation mark (!). Unlike other sentence types, the exclamation mark is a crucial part of the structure.

For example:

  • "What a fantastic performance!"

  • "How amazing this is!"

Exclamatory sentences can also begin with a subject and verb, emphasizing the emotion directly:

  • "I can't believe it!"

  • "This is incredible!"

Common Uses and Examples

Exclamatory sentences are common in both writing and speaking. They help convey emotions effectively.

Here are some contexts and examples:

  • "What a wonderful surprise!"

  • "I can't believe this!"

  • "This is fantastic news!"

  • "How did this happen?"

  • "What a mess!"

  • "What a great idea!"

  • "How beautiful the sunset is!"

  • "This is just perfect!"

  • "What an amazing achievement!"

  • "How shocking!"

Forming Exclamatory Sentences

Creating exclamatory sentences is simple. Start with an emotion-laden word and ensure you end with an exclamation mark.

Practice with these prompts:

  • Joy: "What a great game!"

  • Surprise: "How could you do that!"

  • Anger: "This is unacceptable!"

  • Excitement: "This is the best day ever!"

  • Frustration: "How annoying!"

Guidelines:

Begin with "What" or "How":

  • "What a lovely dress!"

  • "How quickly time flies!"

Use subject-verb order for direct emphasis:

  • "You did it!"

  • "We won!"

Common Mistakes and How to Avoid Them

Overusing Exclamation Marks: Using too many exclamation marks can make your writing seem overly dramatic. Use them sparingly for maximum impact.

  • Incorrect: "What a beautiful day!!!!!"

  • Correct: "What a beautiful day!"

Mixing Exclamation Marks with Other Punctuation: Avoid combining exclamation marks with question marks or periods.

  • Incorrect: "How did you do that?!"

  • Correct: "How did you do that!"

Using Exclamatory Sentences in Formal Writing: These sentences are more suitable for informal or creative writing. In formal writing, use them judiciously.

  • Incorrect: "What an incredible report you submitted!"

  • Correct: "The report you submitted was impressive."

Practice Exercises

Convert the following declarative sentences into exclamatory sentences:

  • The sunset is beautiful.

  • You did a great job.

  • This pizza is delicious.

Answers:

  • "What a beautiful sunset!"

  • "How great a job you did!"

  • "This pizza is delicious!"

Identify the emotion conveyed by the following exclamatory sentences:

  • "What a disaster this is!"

  • "How exciting!"

  • "This is outrageous!"

Answers:

  • Frustration/Despair

  • Excitement

  • Anger

Create exclamatory sentences for the following scenarios:

  • You won a prize.

  • You missed the bus.

  • You saw a famous person.

Examples:

  • "I won a prize!"

  • "I missed the bus!"

  • "I saw a famous person!"

Related Articles