Who's baby is going to become the cutest kid?

Nicole Kidman and Keith Urban's
Camila Alves and Matthew McConaughey's
Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt's

View Results

Problems with Exclamation Points

In formal writing, be careful. Overuse of exclamation points not only dulls their effect, but also characterizes an immature style.

  • The film's last scene poignantly showed that his battle had been for nothing, that he had lost her and his dream forever.

  • not  The film's last scene was so poignant! You knew he'd lost her forever. His dream was dead!

Also, avoid using an exclamation point in parentheses to indicate sarcasm or irony; instead, rely on good writing to create the desired effect.

  • Mother believed Mary's problem could be solved with a new dress, and she refused to discuss the issue further.

  • not  Mother believed Mary's problem could be solved with a new dress (!), and she refused to discuss the issue further.

Cite this article

cover
Learn the Words You Should Know
Vocabulary Puzzles is the fun way to ace the SAT, ACT, GRE, LSAT & more!
The Ultimate Learning Experience!
WATCH the film and READ the lit note for a fast way to study!
Learn more!
Learn Shakespeare on the Double!
Get the original text and a line-for-line modern English translation.
Learn more!