Exclamations are sentences or sentence-like phrases used to express strong emotion or emphasis, such as surprise, excitement, anger, pain, or admiration. They often stand apart from surrounding sentences because their purpose is to react, not to narrate or explain. In writing, exclamations commonly end with an exclamation mark, but the meaning is defined by the emotional force, not only by punctuation.

In English, the exclamation mark is the most typical way to show that an utterance is an exclamation in writing. It signals heightened emotion or emphasis and can make a sentence sound more intense than a period would. Use it when the emotional force is clearly intended; in many formal contexts, it is used sparingly to keep the tone neutral and professional.

Rule	Example
Use an exclamation mark to show strong emotion or emphasis.	That’s amazing!
A period makes the same words sound calmer and more neutral.	That’s amazing.
Multiple exclamation marks are informal and can look exaggerated.	Stop!
In formal writing, prefer fewer exclamation marks to maintain an objective tone.	We are pleased to confirm receipt of your application.

One common exclamation structure begins with What followed by a noun phrase. This pattern expresses strong feeling about the noun, often admiration, surprise, or frustration. It can appear with a full clause or as a short phrase when the meaning is clear from context.

Rule	Example
Use What a or What an before a singular countable noun.	What a beautiful day!
Use What before plural countable nouns without an article.	What great ideas!
Use What before uncountable nouns without an article.	What terrible weather!
The verb and subject may follow when you use a full clause.	What a mess you made!

Another common exclamation structure begins with How followed by an adjective, adverb, or clause. This pattern intensifies a quality, manner, or degree, often to show surprise or admiration. It is especially useful when you want to highlight how strongly you feel about an adjective or adverb.

Rule	Example
Use How plus adjective to intensify a quality.	How beautiful!
Use How plus adverb to intensify a manner.	How quickly she answered!
Use How plus clause when you want a fuller statement.	How lucky we are!

Exclamations often look like statements in word order, but What and How exclamatives have their own patterns. In What-exclamatives, the noun phrase comes immediately after What. In How-exclamatives, the adjective or adverb comes immediately after How, and the subject-verb part may follow if you expand it into a full clause.

Rule	Example
What must be followed by a noun phrase, not just an adjective.	What a strange story!
How can directly modify an adjective or adverb.	How strange!
In full clauses, the subject typically appears after the initial exclamative phrase.	What an incredible player he is!
Do not use question word order unless it is actually a question.	How amazing this is!

Many exclamations are shortened, leaving out words that would be expected in a full sentence. This omission, called ellipsis, is common because the emotional reaction is the focus and the missing parts are easy to infer. Elliptical exclamations are especially frequent in conversation, dialogue, and informal writing.

Rule	Example
You can omit the verb be in short exclamations.	How wonderful!
You can omit the subject and verb when context is clear.	What a surprise!
Interjections often stand alone as complete exclamations.	Ouch!

Interjections are short words or sounds used to express immediate emotion, and they frequently function as exclamations. They can appear alone or be followed by a sentence, often separated by a comma. Interjections are highly dependent on context and tone, and many are informal.

Word/Phrase	Definition	Example
Wow	surprise or admiration	Wow! That’s impressive!
Ouch	pain or discomfort	Ouch! That hurts!
Oh no	worry or disappointment	Oh no! I forgot my keys.
Yay	excitement or celebration	Yay! We did it!
Ugh	disgust or frustration	Ugh! This is so messy.

Exclamations can be punctuated in different ways depending on how strong you want the emotion to feel. An exclamation mark is the clearest signal, but commas and periods can soften the tone. In longer sentences, an exclamation mark may appear at the end, while interjections can be set off with commas inside the sentence.

Rule	Example
Use a comma after an interjection before continuing the sentence.	Wow, I didn’t expect that.
A period can make an exclamation-style sentence sound restrained or ironic.	Great.
Use an exclamation mark at the end of the whole sentence, not after an early word.	I can’t believe we won!

Exclamations strongly affect tone, so choose them according to context and audience. In casual conversation, exclamations are common and help show personality and emotion. In academic or professional writing, they can sound overly emotional or biased, so they are typically limited to quotations, marketing language, or genuinely celebratory announcements.

Rule	Example
In professional writing, reserve exclamations for clearly positive announcements or direct quotes.	Congratulations on your promotion!
In neutral reporting, avoid exclamations to keep an objective tone.	The results show a significant increase in output.
In dialogue and informal writing, exclamations can show character voice and emotion.	Get out of here!

Exclamations and questions can look similar because both may begin with what or how, but their functions differ. Exclamations express reaction and do not seek information, while questions request an answer. In writing, punctuation helps distinguish them, and the grammar often differs in word order and intention.

Rule	Example
Exclamations express emotion and do not require an answer.	What a lovely painting!
Questions request information and typically require an answer.	What a lovely painting is this?
How-exclamatives intensify; how-questions ask about manner or degree.	How cold it is!
How-questions often use question structure and aim for information.	How cold is it?