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	🇨🇳 中文 规则	Example	🇨🇳 中文 示例
Use an exclamation mark to show strong emotion or emphasis.	🧩 使用感叹号来表达强烈情感或强调。	That’s amazing!	📌 那太棒了！
A period makes the same words sound calmer and more neutral.	🧩 使用句号会让同样的话语听起来更平静中立。	That’s amazing.	📌 那太棒了。
Multiple exclamation marks are informal and can look exaggerated.	🧩 多个感叹号是非正式的，可能显得夸张。	Stop!	📌 停！
In formal writing, prefer fewer exclamation marks to maintain an objective tone.	🧩 在正式写作中，宜尽量少用感叹号，以保持客观语气。	We are pleased to confirm receipt of your application.	📌 我们很高兴确认收到您的申请。

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	🇨🇳 中文 规则	Example	🇨🇳 中文 示例
Use What a or What an before a singular countable noun.	🧩 在单数可数名词前使用 What a 或 What an。	What a beautiful day!	📌 多么美好的一天！
Use What before plural countable nouns without an article.	🧩 在复数可数名词前使用 What，而不加冠词。	What great ideas!	📌 多么棒的主意！
Use What before uncountable nouns without an article.	🧩 在不可数名词前不加冠词使用 What。	What terrible weather!	📌 多么糟糕的天气！
The verb and subject may follow when you use a full clause.	🧩 当使用完整从句时，动词和主语可能跟在句后。	What a mess you made!	📌 你闹了个一团糟！

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	🇨🇳 中文 规则	Example	🇨🇳 中文 示例
Use How plus adjective to intensify a quality.	🧩 使用 How 加形容词来加强某种特征。	How beautiful!	📌 How beautiful!
Use How plus adverb to intensify a manner.	🧩 使用 How 加副词来加强方式。	How quickly she answered!	📌 How quickly she answered!
Use How plus clause when you want a fuller statement.	🧩 使用 How 加从句以获得更完整的陈述。	How lucky we are!	📌 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	🇨🇳 中文 规则	Example	🇨🇳 中文 示例
What must be followed by a noun phrase, not just an adjective.	🧩 What 必须后跟名词短语，而不仅仅是形容词。	What a strange story!	📌 多么奇怪的故事！
How can directly modify an adjective or adverb.	🧩 How 可以直接修饰形容词或副词。	How strange!	📌 多么奇怪！
In full clauses, the subject typically appears after the initial exclamative phrase.	🧩 在完整从句中，主语通常出现在最初感叹短语之后。	What an incredible player he is!	📌 他是多么了不起的球员！
Do not use question word order unless it is actually a question.	🧩 除非确实是一个问题，否则不要使用疑问词序。	How amazing this is!	📌 这有多么令人惊叹！

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	🇨🇳 中文 规则	Example	🇨🇳 中文 示例
You can omit the verb be in short exclamations.	🧩 你可以在简短的感叹句中省略 be 动词。	How wonderful!	📌 多么美妙！
You can omit the subject and verb when context is clear.	🧩 当上下文清晰时，可以省略主语和动词。	What a surprise!	📌 真是令人惊讶！
Interjections often stand alone as complete exclamations.	🧩 感叹词常常独立作为完整的感叹句。	Ouch!	📌 哎呦！

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	🇨🇳 中文 单词/短语	Definition	🇨🇳 中文 定义	Example	🇨🇳 中文 示例
Wow	🧩 哇	surprise or admiration	🧩 惊讶或钦佩	Wow! That’s impressive!	🧩 哇！那太让人印象深刻了！
Ouch	🧩 哎呀	pain or discomfort	🧩 痛苦或不适	Ouch! That hurts!	🧩 哎呀！这很疼。
Oh no	🧩 哦不	worry or disappointment	🧩 担忧或失望	Oh no! I forgot my keys.	🧩 哦不！我忘记了我的钥匙。
Yay	🧩 耶	excitement or celebration	🧩 兴奋或庆祝	Yay! We did it!	🧩 耶！我们做到了！
Ugh	🧩 呸	disgust or frustration	🧩 厌恶或沮丧	Ugh! This is so messy.	🧩 呸！这太乱了。

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	🇨🇳 中文 规则	Example	🇨🇳 中文 示例
Use a comma after an interjection before continuing the sentence.	🧩 在感叹词后使用逗号以继续句子。	Wow, I didn’t expect that.	📌 哇，我没想到。
A period can make an exclamation-style sentence sound restrained or ironic.	🧩 句号可以让感叹式句子听起来克制或讽刺。	Great.	📌 太好了。
Use an exclamation mark at the end of the whole sentence, not after an early word.	🧩 将感叹号放在整个句子末尾，而不是在前面的词后面。	I can’t believe we won!	📌 我简直不敢相信我们赢了！

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	🇨🇳 中文 规则	Example	🇨🇳 中文 示例
In professional writing, reserve exclamations for clearly positive announcements or direct quotes.	🧩 在专业写作中，将感叹句保留给明确的积极公告或直接引语。	Congratulations on your promotion!	📌 祝贺你晋升！
In neutral reporting, avoid exclamations to keep an objective tone.	🧩 在中立报道中，避免使用感叹句，以保持客观语气。	The results show a significant increase in output.	📌 结果显示产出显著增加。
In dialogue and informal writing, exclamations can show character voice and emotion.	🧩 在对话和非正式写作中，感叹句可以展示人物声音和情感。	Get out of here!	📌 滚开！

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	🇨🇳 中文 规则	Example	🇨🇳 中文 示例
Exclamations express emotion and do not require an answer.	🧩 感叹句表达情感，不需要回答。	What a lovely painting!	📌 多么可爱的画作！
Questions request information and typically require an answer.	🧩 问句请求信息，通常需要回答。	What a lovely painting is this?	📌 这是一幅多么可爱的画？
How-exclamatives intensify; how-questions ask about manner or degree.	🧩 How-exclamatives 用于加强语气；How 开头的疑问句用于询问方式或程度。	How cold it is!	📌 有多冷呢！
How-questions often use question structure and aim for information.	🧩 How-questions 通常使用疑问结构，旨在获取信息。	How cold is it?	📌 有多冷？