Exclamatory sentence masterclass

This post helps us understand what an exclamatory sentence is, how it looks like, and when to use it.

What are exclamatory sentences in English?

Sentence that ends with an exclamation mark and exudes a strong emotion (happiness, anger, amazement, joy, sorrow, gratitude) are called exclamatory sentences. An exclamatory sentence is a declarative sentence but with expressing a strong feeling or emotion.

Exclamatory sentences also state facts, opinions, or beliefs (like a declarative sentence) but the speaker expresses a strong emotion in their message.

Examples:

• This dish is delicious! (happiness)
• This can’t be true. (shock)
• I love you more than anyone in the world! (expressing love, being emotional)
• It’s my birthday today! (joy, excitement)
• Yay, we won the match! (happiness)
• God, this place is beautiful! (amazement)
• What a car it is! (amazement)
• I didn’t get the job! (sorrow)
• Bring him to me right now! How dare he call you a nobody! (anger)
• You are welcome! (gratitude)
• Thank you for the immense love and support you have shown! (love)
• That’s great news! Let’s celebrate it! (happiness)
• You were amazing last night! (awe + compliment)
• I never knew you could dance this well! (shock)
• We absolutely loved the movie! (happiness)
• I need my money right now! (frustration)
• Wow, you look like an angel! (amazement)
• Man, he is bloodied up. (concern)
• Thank you, Ashish! (gratitude)

Exclamatory sentences can also start with interjections

Interjections are words or phrases that stand out from a sentence and express a feeling/emotion of the speaker. Here are some of the most common interjections in English:

• Whoa
• Yay
• Hurry
• Jesus
• Man/Man oh man
• Dah
• Oh
• Alas
• Ugh
• Yuck
• Aww
• Eww
• Bravo
• Huh
• Drat

Examples:

• Whoa! You look pretty!
• Man, this project is exciting!
• Oh, I didn’t know that!
• Jesus! Stop bragging about it now!
• Wow, your house is huge!
• Yikes, what a disgusting line it is!

Exclamatory sentences starting with ‘WHAT’

• What a beautiful house you live in!
• What a guy he is!
• What a fight that was! We all loved it.
• What an amazing place it is!
• What a liar you are!
• What a moron he is!
• What an astounding project you are working on!

Exclamatory sentences starting with ‘HOW’

• How pretty this kid is!
• How fast you run!
• How complex this problem is!
• How sad the news is!
• How beautifully she sings!
• How sweet of you!

Exclamatory sentences with so, extremely, and such

• You are so smart!
• The fight was so good!
• It was such a good class!
• It’s such an amazing offer for us!
• This is such a good party!
• His house is extremely expensive!

Note that we don’t always have to use an exclamation mark at the end of sentences that have these words in them. Sentences with such words often express strong emotions, but if the speaker delivers the message in a neutral tone, without being emphatic, use a period.

An imperative sentence can be changed into an exclamatory sentence by simply using an explanation mark at the end, in place of a comma, and adding feelings and emotions to it.

• Come here. (An order with a plain voice, no emotion)
• Come here! (An order with anger in the speaker’s voice)

• Please let me use your phone for a minute. (plain voice, no emotion)
• Please let me use your phone for a minute! (almost begging the person, emotional)

The emotion that an exclamatory sentence expresses can only be understood by the context in which it’s used. We can say the above statement with amazement or excitement.