1. Section 1 The Exclamation Point Pages 13-14 OST164 Text Editing Applications

2. The Exclamation Point - ¶119 The exclamation point is an emotional mark of punctuation that is most often found in sales and advertising copy. Avoid using it wherever possible.

3. The Exclamation Point - ¶ 119 a Use an exclamation point at the end of a sentence to indicate enthusiasm, surprise, disbelief, urgency, or strong feelings. Leave only 1 space between it and the next sentence. Yes! We’re selling our entire inventory below costs! Doors open at 9 a.m.! Let’s roll! No! I don’t believe that! When I told Sid what had happened, all he said was, “You’ve got to be kidding!”

4. The Exclamation Point - ¶ 119 b-c An exclamation point may be used in place of a question mark to express strong feeling. How could you do that! What made you think I’d welcome a call at 2:30 a.m.! What did I tell you! The exclamation point may be enclosed in parentheses and place directly after a word that the writer wants to emphasize. We won exclusive(!) distribution rights in the Western Hemisphere.

5. The Exclamation Point - ¶ 120 (a) A single word may be followed by an exclamation point to express intense feelings. The sentence that follows it is capitalized and punctuated as usual. Wow! What a great job. (b) When a word is repeated for emphasis, an exclamation point should follow each repetition. Going! Going! Our bargains are gone! (c) When exclamations are mild, a comma or a period is sufficient. Well, well, things could be worse. No. I won’t accept those conditions.