Exclamatory Sentences in Narration

What You Will Learn

In this lesson, you will learn:

So far, you have learned:

Assertive sentences

Questions

Imperative sentences


Now we will learn another interesting type:

Exclamatory sentences


These sentences express strong feelings or emotions.


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What Is an Exclamatory Sentence


An exclamatory sentence shows strong emotion.


Examples:

What a beautiful flower

How happy I am

Alas I am lost

Hurrah we won the match


These sentences usually end with an exclamation mark.


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Main Idea


To change exclamatory sentences:


said becomes exclaimed

Add with joy, with sorrow, or with surprise

Remove interjections

Change into a statement sentence

Use that


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Basic Structure


Subject + exclaimed with feeling + that + statement


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Types of Emotion


Joy

Sorrow

Surprise


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Joy


Words:

Hurrah

How happy

What a beautiful


Example 1


Direct:

He said, “Hurrah! We won the match!”


Step 1

said → exclaimed with joy


Step 2

Remove “Hurrah”


Step 3

Change to statement


Final:

He exclaimed with joy that they had won the match.


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Example 2


Direct:

She said, “How happy I am!”


Step 1

exclaimed with joy


Step 2

I → she


Step 3

am → was


Final:

She exclaimed with joy that she was very happy.


Sorrow

Words:

Alas

Oh no


Example 1


Direct:

He said, “Alas! I am ruined!”


Step 1

said → exclaimed with sorrow


Step 2

Remove “Alas”


Step 3

I → he


Step 4

am → was


Final:

He exclaimed with sorrow that he was ruined.


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Example 2


Direct:

She said, “Alas! I lost my bag!”


Step 1

exclaimed with sorrow


Step 2

I → she


Step 3

lost → had lost


Final:

She exclaimed with sorrow that she had lost her bag.


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Surprise


Words:

What

How


Example 1


Direct:

He said, “What a beautiful flower!”


Step 1

said → exclaimed with surprise


Step 2

Change to statement


Final:

He exclaimed with surprise that it was a very beautiful flower.


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Example 2


Direct:

She said, “How tall the boy is!”


Step 1

exclaimed with surprise


Step 2

is → was


Final:

She exclaimed with surprise that the boy was very tall.


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One Sentence Step by Step


Sentence:

He said, “What a nice day!”


Step 1

Identify emotion:

Surprise or joy


Step 2

said → exclaimed with joy


Step 3

Change to statement


Final:

He exclaimed with joy that it was a very nice day.


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Another Step by Step Example


Sentence:

She said, “Alas! I am late!”


Step 1

Emotion:

Sorrow


Step 2

said → exclaimed with sorrow


Step 3

I → she


Step 4

am → was


Final:

She exclaimed with sorrow that she was late.


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Important Notes


Always remove interjections (Hurrah, Alas)


Use that


Change to statement form


Choose correct emotion word


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Common Mistakes


Mistake 1

Keeping exclamation mark


Mistake 2

Not removing interjection


Mistake 3

Using wrong emotion


Mistake 4

Not changing to statement form


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Quick Revision


Exclamatory = strong feeling


Rules:

said → exclaimed

Add with joy/sorrow/surprise

Remove interjection

Use that

Make statement


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Practice


A. Change into indirect speech


1. He said, “Hurrah! We won the match!”

2. She said, “Alas! I am lost!”

3. He said, “What a beautiful flower!”

4. She said, “How happy I am!”

5. He said, “Alas! I failed the exam!”

6. She said, “How tall the boy is!”


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B. Fill in the blanks


1. Exclamatory sentence shows ______

2. said becomes ______

3. We remove ______

4. We use ______


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C. Choose the correct answer


1. “Hurrah” shows

   joy

   sorrow

   question


2. “Alas” shows

   joy

   sorrow

   surprise


3. Exclamatory sentence becomes

   question

   statement

   command


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Answers


A.


1. He exclaimed with joy that they had won the match.

2. She exclaimed with sorrow that she was lost.

3. He exclaimed with surprise that it was a very beautiful flower.

4. She exclaimed with joy that she was very happy.

5. He exclaimed with sorrow that he had failed the exam.

6. She exclaimed with surprise that the boy was very tall.


B.


1. emotion

2. exclaimed

3. interjection

4. that


C.


1. joy

2. sorrow

3. statement

Self Check

Can I identify exclamatory sentence

Can I choose correct emotion

Can I remove interjection

Can I change to statement form

Homework

Write five exclamatory sentences in direct speech.

Then change them into indirect speech.