Exclamations
Learn how an exclamation expresses strong feeling, the two common patterns built with what and how, and how the exclamation mark can turn other sentence types into exclamations too.
Expressing strong feeling
An exclamation shows surprise, excitement or urgency.
An exclamation is a sentence that expresses strong feeling. Unlike a statement, which simply gives information, an exclamation shows the speaker’s reaction to that information.
In the sentence What a beautiful view!, the word what and the exclamation mark together signal that the speaker is reacting strongly to the view, rather than simply describing it.
Exclamations often follow one of two patterns, built with what or how, though other sentence types can also become exclamations with the right punctuation.
Before you begin
Exclamations are one of four sentence types.
This lesson focuses on exclamations specifically. Sentence types as a whole include three other categories, each covered in its own lesson.
If you would like an overview of how sentence types work in general, begin with the Sentence Types page.
The central idea
The same words can be neutral, or full of feeling.
Compare a statement with the same words punctuated as an exclamation.
01
Statement
The view is beautiful.
02
Exclamation
The view is beautiful!
The useful question is: what changed?
The words and their order stay exactly the same. Only the punctuation mark at the end changes, and that single change is enough to signal strong feeling.
Two common patterns
Exclamations are often built with what or how.
What + a + adjective + noun
What a beautiful view!
What introduces a noun phrase, and the article a comes before the adjective and noun.
How + adjective or adverb
How beautiful the view is!
How introduces an adjective or adverb directly, without an article, and the subject and verb follow.
Not the same as a question
What and how also begin questions, but a question requests information and ends with a question mark, while these patterns express a reaction and end with an exclamation mark.
Any sentence can become an exclamation
An exclamation mark can turn a statement or a command into an exclamation.
A statement-shaped exclamation
I can’t believe it!
The word order matches a statement; the exclamation mark signals the strong feeling.
A command-shaped exclamation
Watch out!
The word order matches a command; the exclamation mark signals urgency.
A useful decision guide
Ask what feeling is being expressed, and how.
01
Is strong feeling being expressed?
Surprise, excitement or urgency are common signs of an exclamation.
02
Does the sentence begin with what or how?
If so, check whether it is followed by a noun phrase or an adjective.
03
Could the same words form a statement or a question instead?
The end punctuation, not the word order, often makes the difference.
04
Does the sentence end with an exclamation mark?
An exclamation ends with an exclamation mark, not a period or a question mark.
Common mistakes
What and how are not interchangeable, and an exclamation mark is not decoration.
The article a is needed after what.
Not: What beautiful view!
Correct: What a beautiful view!
What introduces a full noun phrase, which needs the article before the adjective and noun.
How does not take an article and a noun.
Not: How a beautiful view!
Correct: How beautiful the view is!
How is followed directly by an adjective or adverb, not by an article and a noun.
An exclamation mark is not added to routine information.
Not: The meeting starts at nine!
Correct: The meeting starts at nine.
Reserving the exclamation mark for genuine strong feeling keeps its impact clear.
Check your understanding
Which sentence type is shown below?
Choose the correct answer for each sentence.
What a wonderful surprise!
✅ Exactly! What, the noun phrase, and the exclamation mark together express strong feeling.
❎ Not quite. Look at the punctuation mark and the opening word together.
Is information simply being given, or is a reaction being expressed?
What time does the film start?
✅ Exactly! What is asking for information here, and the sentence ends with a question mark.
❎ Not quite. Check the punctuation mark at the end of the sentence.
What can also begin a question.
I can’t believe we won!
✅ Exactly! The word order matches a statement, but the exclamation mark signals strong feeling.
❎ Not quite. Look past the word order and check the punctuation at the end.
An exclamation does not always start with what or how.
Choose the best explanation
Select the sentence that explains the exclamation correctly.
Why is “What beautiful view!” not correctly formed?
✅ Exactly! What introduces a full noun phrase, which needs its article.
❎ Not quite. Compare the sentence to the correct what-pattern.
Why does “How a beautiful view!” need to be corrected?
✅ Exactly! The how-pattern needs an adjective or adverb, along with a subject and verb, not an article and noun.
❎ Not quite. Compare the how-pattern to the what-pattern.
Try it another way
Complete each exclamation.
Type the missing word.
✅ Exactly! The article a belongs before the adjective and noun.
❎ Not quite. Think about the article that belongs after what.
✅ Exactly! How introduces the adverb quickly directly.
❎ Not quite. This exclamation is built directly from an adverb, without an article.
Quick review
An exclamation expresses feeling, and often signals it with punctuation alone.
An exclamation is a sentence that expresses strong feeling and ends with an exclamation mark.
What introduces a noun phrase with its article: What a beautiful view!
How introduces an adjective or adverb directly: How beautiful the view is!
A statement or a command can also become an exclamation; the punctuation, not the word order, signals the strong feeling.
Reserving the exclamation mark for genuine strong feeling keeps its impact clear.
Remember
Ask whether the sentence is reacting, not just reporting.
If a sentence expresses surprise, excitement or urgency, and ends with an exclamation mark, it is an exclamation, whatever its word order happens to be.