Page 162 - Perfect English Grammar: The Indispensable Guide to Excellent Writing and Speaking
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writer is stating a problem that needs to be resolved but in which a question is
not being asked.
■ Wrong: My cell phone doesn’t boot?
■ Right: My cell phone doesn’t boot.
■ Wrong: The bank won’t give me a loan?
■ Right: The bank won’t give me a loan.
16.4 Exclamation Mark
Also called an exclamation point, the exclamation mark indicates excitement,
either positive or negative. It can also add emphasis, especially to commands and
interjections (see section 15.0, Interjections).
■ Hey! Those are my shoes!
■ Wait! We have special deals for you!
Sometimes exclamation marks are used for sentences that begin with what or
how, because they’re not questions.
■ What a good boy you are!
■ How about that!
Many inexperienced or unsophisticated writers overuse exclamation marks.
Often they do so because they don’t know how else to indicate that something
they’ve written is supposed to cause excitement in the reader. Sometimes they
use more than one exclamation mark in a row, but even in informal writing, this
is considered excessive. In formal writing, however, even in dialog, exclamation
marks are rare.
Your best bet is to avoid exclamation marks. When you do use them, use
them sparingly and one at a time, and consider taking them out when you edit.
