Exclamatory Sentences

(For CLASSIC LINGUISHTIK only)

Any sentence that has an “!” at the end is considered exclamatory.

Interjections* are punctuated in one of two ways: there must be an “!” either (1) behind the interjection or (2) at the end of the sentence.

! after the interjection: Ouch! The boys threw the ball at me.

! at the end of the sentence: Ouch, the boys threw the ball at me!

If an interjection has the “!” behind it, then the sentence following it can be a question, a declarative sentence (any pattern or structure), an imperative sentence, or an exclamatory sentence.  Here are some examples of each type of following sentence:

Exclamatory following sentence: Ouch! The boys threw the ball at me!

Interrogative following sentence: Ouch! Why did the boys throw that ball at me?

Declarative following sentence: Ouch! I’m not going to let those boys throw that ball at me.

Imperative following sentence: Ouch! Don’t throw that ball at me again.

Note: An imperative sentence may end in either a period or an exclamation point. The key is that it has an understood subject (you) and is a command or request.

*In LINGUISHTIK, a word is an interjection only if it is listed as one in the official dictionary. The dictionary may also say the word may be “used interjectionally” – that is acceptable, as well.

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