What are exclamatory sentences

What are exclamatory Sentences

Exclamatory Sentences

An exclamatory sentence is one of the four types of sentences. An exclamatory sentence conveys strong feeling, emotion, surprise, excitement, happiness, or anger. It is also called exclamation or exclamative sentence. Exclamatory sentence ends with exclamation mark.

• What romantic weather there was!
• That’s a bad news for me!
• How dare Ali said in the meeting!
• How careless of him to forget my book!
• Oh no! We missed the bus!

Uses of Exclamations

Exclamatory sentences are generally used in speaking. They need to be avoided in formal writing and academic writing. Overusing of exclamations is a sign of amateurish writing. They can be used in direct quotes and dialogues.

Formation of Exclamatory Sentences

To form exclamatory sentence, we consider or use some elements.

 1 Special Words Used in Exclamations

Exclamatory sentences can be formed by using some words that enhance or strengthen the expression of exclamatory sentence. These specific words are what, how, so, and such.

What

The word ‘what’ is used at the beginning of an exclamatory sentence to enhance its expression.

What a/an + noun (singular)

What + noun (uncountable/plural)

What a/an + adjective + noun (singular)

What + adjective + noun (uncountable/plural)

• What a noise we hear!
• What romantic weather we had yesterday!
• What an interesting game it was!
• What beautiful eyes she has!

How

The word ‘how’ is also used at the beginning of an exclamatory sentence to emphasis, but it is not used as a question word in exclamatory sentence.

How + adjective/adverb + subject + verb

How + subject + verb

• How romantic weather it was!
• How beautifully she danced!
• How they laugh!

So

We use the word ‘so’ in exclamatory sentence to make a strong expression.

So + adjective/adverb

• This is so cute baby I have ever seen!
• The meal that my mother cooked was so delicious!

Such

The word ‘such’ can be used in exclamatory sentence like the other used above. It is used with nouns and adjective + noun.

• He is such a kind person! He gives more charity.
• That was such a lovely place! Let’s go again.

Remember that we have exclamatory sentences that do not have the above words, yet they are called exclamatory sentences. Any declarative sentences that end with exclamation mark and show excitement become exclamatory sentences.

• That’s a bad news for me!
• I am going to miss these lovely moments!

 2. Exclamation Mark

Exclamatory sentences are ended with exclamation marks to emphasis emotion, feeling, etc.

• How sharp its teeth are!
• What a mess we have!

3. Using of Interjection

Interjection can be used to express strong feeling, emotion, excitement, etc. The interjections can stand alone or they can be connected to the rest of an exclamatory sentence. The interjection can be followed by comma.

• Wow! We won the match.
• Oh no! He killed him!
• Wow, she looks so beautiful!

Key Points

  Short Form of Exclamations

It is possible to shorten the exclamatory sentences. We often cut subject and verb to shorten them. Technically, they are not sentences without verb and subject, but they are very common.

Long Form:     What a great idea it was!                                                   
Short Form:    What a great idea!

Long Form:     What an expensive car you have bought!                                     
Short Form:    What an expensive car!   

  Identification of Subject in Exclamatory Sentences

To identify the subject, take just three steps. First thing is to locate the verb. After that ask yourself ‘who’ or ‘what’ has performed the action? Whatever answers the above question is the subject.

• How bravely he spoke!

1. Verb: spoke

2. Who has performed the action of speaking?

3. The answer is he.

  Using Adjectives in Exclamatory Phrases and Clauses

We sometimes use exclamatory phrases that can stand as a sentence. If we say, ‘No way!’ or ‘Brrr’, we don’t need a subject and a verb. To qualify an exclamatory sentence, there must be a subject and a verb.

Adjectives can play key role in creating exclamatory phrases or clauses. When a subject is eventive, adjectives can be exclamatory with or without the elements.

• That’s excellent! = Excellent!
• How wonderful! = Wonderful!

   Interrogative Exclamations

As studied earlier that exclamations have subject/verb structure, exclamatory sentences can also have interrogative structure.

• Oh wow, was that a great event!
• Oh wow, that was a great event!
• Wasn’t that fun!
• That was fun!

They can also be rhetorical questions of surprise. They end with both exclamation mark and question mark.

• What?!