What Are Exclamatory Sentences?
Exclamatory sentences are sentences that express strong emotions — surprise, admiration, anger, joy, shock, or frustration. They always end with an exclamation mark (!), and they often begin with what or how. While most grammar textbooks focus on declarative, interrogative, and imperative sentences, exclamatory sentences deserve special attention because they follow their own unique word order and have specific structural rules that learners must understand.
In everyday English, exclamations are everywhere. When you see a breathtaking sunset and say, "What a beautiful sunset!" — that is an exclamatory sentence. When someone tells you incredible news and you respond, "How amazing!" — that is also an exclamation. These structures allow us to add emphasis, emotion, and intensity to our speech and writing in ways that ordinary statements cannot.
The most important thing to understand about exclamatory sentences is that they are not questions, even though they often begin with "what" or "how." The word order is different from questions, and they always end with an exclamation mark, never a question mark. Mastering these patterns is essential for both natural English communication and grammar exams.
Declarative: She is very tall. (statement)
Interrogative: Is she very tall? (question)
Imperative: Stand up straight! (command)
Exclamatory: How tall she is! (strong emotion)
Exclamatory sentences transform ordinary observations into expressions of feeling. They tell the listener not just what you think, but how strongly you feel about it.
When Do We Use Exclamatory Sentences?
Exclamatory sentences are used whenever the speaker wants to express a strong reaction or heightened emotion. They are more common in spoken English and informal writing, but they also appear in literature, advertisements, and persuasive texts:
| Emotion | Example | Context |
|---|---|---|
| Surprise | What a coincidence! | Meeting someone unexpectedly |
| Admiration | How beautifully she sings! | Watching a concert performance |
| Anger | What a terrible thing to say! | Reacting to an offensive comment |
| Joy | What wonderful news! | Hearing about a friend’s promotion |
| Disappointment | How disappointing! | Finding out a flight has been cancelled |
| Shock | What an incredible story! | Hearing something unbelievable |
In formal writing, exclamatory sentences should be used sparingly. Too many exclamation marks can make writing seem informal or even aggressive. In academic writing and business correspondence, it is better to express emphasis through word choice rather than punctuation. However, in creative writing, dialogue, and advertising, exclamations add life and energy to the text.
Exclamations with “What”
The most common exclamatory structure uses what followed by a noun phrase. There are two main patterns, depending on whether the noun is countable singular or uncountable/plural:
What + a/an + (adjective) + singular noun + (subject + verb)!
| Pattern | Example |
|---|---|
| What + a + adj + noun! | What a beautiful day! |
| What + a + adj + noun + S + V! | What a clever student she is! |
| What + an + adj + noun! | What an amazing performance! |
| What + a + noun! | What a surprise! |
| What + a + adj + noun + S + V! | What a delicious meal you have prepared! |
| What + an + adj + noun + S + V! | What an enormous building that is! |
What + (adjective) + plural/uncountable noun + (subject + verb)!
No article (a/an) is used with plural or uncountable nouns.
| Pattern | Example |
|---|---|
| What + adj + plural noun! | What gorgeous flowers! |
| What + adj + uncountable noun! | What lovely weather! |
| What + adj + plural noun + S + V! | What talented musicians they are! |
| What + adj + uncountable noun + S + V! | What beautiful music you play! |
| What + noun! | What nonsense! |
| What + adj + plural noun! | What kind people they are! |
Question: What is she doing? (interrogative word order + question mark)
Exclamation: What a kind thing she did! (exclamatory word order + exclamation mark)
In exclamations, the subject comes before the verb (she did), just like in a statement. In questions, the verb comes before the subject (is she). The word order is the key difference.
Exclamations with “How”
The second major exclamatory pattern uses how followed by an adjective, adverb, or even a full clause. While "what" focuses on the noun, "how" focuses on the quality or manner of something:
How + adjective/adverb + (subject + verb)!
| Pattern | Example |
|---|---|
| How + adjective! | How wonderful! |
| How + adjective + S + V! | How clever you are! |
| How + adverb + S + V! | How quickly the time has passed! |
| How + adjective + S + V! | How beautiful this garden looks in the spring! |
| How + adverb + S + V! | How well she speaks French! |
| How + adjective! | How strange! |
What is followed by a noun (or adjective + noun):
What a beautiful day! (noun = day)
How is followed by an adjective or adverb alone:
How beautiful! (adjective alone, no noun)
If there is a noun after the adjective → use what.
If the adjective stands alone (no noun) → use how.
Other Exclamatory Patterns
Beyond "what" and "how," English has several other ways to form exclamatory sentences. These patterns are common in everyday speech and add variety to your exclamations:
| Pattern | Example | Explanation |
|---|---|---|
| So + adjective! | You are so kind! | Emphasizes degree of a quality |
| Such + (a/an) + noun! | It was such a relief! | Emphasizes the noun with strong feeling |
| Negative question form | Isn’t this view magnificent! | Rhetorical question used as exclamation |
| If only...! | If only I had more time! | Expresses a strong wish or regret |
| Do/Does for emphasis | I do love your new hairstyle! | Emphatic affirmative |
| Single word/phrase | Incredible! / Unbelievable! / Fantastic! | Short exclamation expressing a reaction |
So + adjective/adverb — The concert was so good!Such + (a/an) + (adjective +) noun — It was such a good concert!
Both express a high degree, but so modifies adjectives/adverbs directly, while such modifies noun phrases.
Special Rules and Notes
Here are several important rules and observations about exclamatory sentences that will help you use them correctly:
| Rule | Explanation | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Subject + verb is optional | In short exclamations, you can omit the subject and verb | What a day! / How lovely! |
| Statement word order | When S + V is included, use statement order (not question order) | How fast she runs! (not "runs she") |
| Exclamation mark required | Exclamatory sentences always end with ! | What a shame! (not "What a shame.") |
| No inversion | Unlike questions, exclamations do not invert subject and verb | How brave he is! (not "is he") |
| What + a = singular countable only | Use "a/an" only with singular countable nouns | What weather! (not "a weather") |
| Formal vs informal | "What" and "how" exclamations are slightly more formal; "so" and "such" are more common in everyday speech | How interesting! (formal) / That is so interesting! (informal) |
Never use "a" or "an" with uncountable nouns in exclamations:
✘ What a lovely weather!
✔ What lovely weather!
✘ What a beautiful music!
✔ What beautiful music!
"Weather," "music," "information," and "advice" are uncountable — no article before them.
A single exclamation mark can carry more emotional weight than an entire paragraph of careful description — but only when used at the right moment.
— The Grammar GazetteExample Sentences
Exclamations in Reported Speech
When we report what someone exclaimed, we use reporting verbs like exclaimed, remarked, commented, or said. The exclamatory structure changes to a that-clause, and the emotions are expressed through the choice of reporting verb and adjectives:
| Direct Exclamation | Reported Form |
|---|---|
| "What a beautiful garden!" | She exclaimed that the garden was very beautiful. |
| "How quickly the time has passed!" | He remarked that the time had passed very quickly. |
| "What terrible food!" | They complained that the food was terrible. |
| "How kind you are!" | She told me that I was very kind. |
| "What an amazing performance!" | The critic commented that the performance was amazing. |
| "How expensive everything is!" | She observed that everything was very expensive. |
The choice of reporting verb helps convey the emotion of the original exclamation:
exclaimed — general strong emotion
remarked / commented / observed — milder surprise or observation
complained — negative emotion
praised / admired — positive emotion
Notice that the exclamation mark disappears in reported speech, and what/how is replaced by that + very or another intensifier.
Common Mistakes
Exclamatory sentences may look simple, but they contain several traps for learners. Here are the most frequent errors:
✘ How a beautiful day!
✔ What a beautiful day! (noun → use what)
✘ What beautiful!
✔ How beautiful! (adjective alone → use how)
Rule: If a noun follows the adjective, use what. If the adjective stands alone, use how.
✘ What a lovely weather!
✔ What lovely weather! ("weather" is uncountable)
✘ What a talented children!
✔ What talented children! ("children" is plural)
Use a/an only with singular countable nouns.
✘ How brave is he! (question order)
✔ How brave he is! (statement order)
✘ What a smart girl is she!
✔ What a smart girl she is!
Exclamations use statement word order (subject before verb), not question order.
✘ What a wonderful surprise?
✔ What a wonderful surprise!
Exclamatory sentences express emotions, not questions. They always end with an exclamation mark.
✘ What beautiful day!
✔ What a beautiful day!
✘ What incredible story!
✔ What an incredible story!
Singular countable nouns require a/an after "what."
What vs How: Complete Comparison
Understanding when to use what and when to use how is the most important skill for mastering exclamatory sentences. Here is a comprehensive comparison:
| Feature | What | How |
|---|---|---|
| Followed by | a noun (with or without adjective) | an adjective or adverb (no noun) |
| Article | a/an with singular countable nouns | No article |
| Emphasis on | The noun (the thing itself) | The quality or manner |
| Short form | What a day! | How lovely! |
| Full form | What a talented artist he is! | How talented he is! |
| With plural nouns | What beautiful flowers! | How beautiful the flowers are! |
| With uncountable nouns | What great advice! | How useful the advice was! |
When forming an exclamation, look at what comes after the exclamatory word:
➤ Noun present? → Use what (What a beautiful day!)
➤ No noun, just adjective/adverb? → Use how (How beautiful!)
This simple test works in every situation and will help you choose correctly every time.
You can often express the same idea with either "what" or "how," but the structure changes:
What a tall building that is! = How tall that building is!
What a difficult exam it was! = How difficult the exam was!
What brave soldiers they are! = How brave they are!
Both are correct. Choose the one that feels most natural in context.
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