Exclamations
Exclamations add color and emotion to language, and they often rely on specific forms and word order to punch up their force. This guide goes over the main types of exclamations and how to mark them clearly.
What Exclamations Do
Exclamations highlight surprise, admiration, anger, or other strong feelings by intensifying meaning and drawing attention. They can turn a simple fact into a striking moment.
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How Exclamations Work
Exclamations often use what or how at the start, sometimes invert the usual order, and require an exclamation mark to show force. The noun phrase or adjective that follows sets the tone.
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Exclamations with What
Use what plus a noun or noun phrase to emphasize the size, quality, or impact of something. The structure keeps the spotlight on the thing that amazes you.
Examples
| English Example | English Translation |
|---|---|
| 🏆 What a great game that was! | What a great game that was! |
| 🍰 What an amazing cake you brought! | What an amazing cake you brought! |
| 🎇 What beautiful fireworks! | What beautiful fireworks! |
| 🎵 What a catchy song that is! | What a catchy song that is! |
Exclamations with How
Use how with an adjective, adverb, or sometimes a clause to stress manner, degree, or feeling. How draws attention to the way something is or was done.
Examples
| English Example | English Translation |
|---|---|
| 🌟 How incredible that performance was! | How incredible that performance was! |
| 🌈 How colorful the decorations are! | How colorful the decorations are! |
| 🎉 How fun this party is! | How fun this party is! |
| 🐶 How cute that puppy is! | How cute that puppy is! |
Short Exclamations
Short exclamations like wow, oh, amazing, or unbelievable deliver quick reactions and can be followed by a noun, phrase, or sentence for added effect. They sound natural in speech and informal writing.
Examples
| English Example | English Translation |
|---|---|
| Wow, that was amazing! | Wow, that was amazing! |
| Oh, I didn’t see that coming! | Oh, I didn’t see that coming! |
| Hey, look at that! | Hey, look at that! |
| Ah, that feels so good! | Ah, that feels so good! |
Exclamatory Sentences
Exclamatory sentences express strong emotion through word order, emphatic words, and punctuation. They can begin with how or what, or be a forceful statement ending in an exclamation mark.
Examples
| English Example | English Translation |
|---|---|
| I can’t believe we won the game! | I can’t believe we won the game! |
| How exciting this surprise is! | How exciting this surprise is! |
| What fun it was to see the parade! | What fun it was to see the parade! |
| I’m so happy the concert was great! | I’m so happy the concert was great! |
Turning Questions into Exclamations
Rhetorical questions can function as exclamations when asked for effect rather than information. The tone and punctuation signal that the speaker is emphasizing rather than seeking an answer.
Examples
| English Example | English Translation |
|---|---|
| Question: Did you see that amazing goal? | Question: Did you see that amazing goal? |
| Exclamation: Wow, what an amazing goal that was! | Exclamation: Wow, what an amazing goal that was! |
| Question: Wasn’t the fireworks show incredible? | Question: Wasn’t the fireworks show incredible? |
| Exclamation: It was incredible how bright the fireworks were! | Exclamation: It was incredible how bright the fireworks were! |
Summary
Exclamations use specific forms like what and how, attention-getting word order, and punctuation to convey strong feeling. Practicing these patterns helps you add vividness and emotion to English.
Last updated: Sun Sep 14, 2025