Phenomenal English

Exclamatory Sentences

Definition:-  Sentences describing feelings of joy, surprise, disgust or contempt, regret, grief or sorrow and applause are called Exclamatory Sentences. Interjections like hurrah, alas, wow, sorry, bravo, ah, ouch, pooh, what (sometimes used as Interjection to show surprise), well done, nonsense, good god are mostly used to describe different feelings of joy, disgust, surprise or grief.

There are two types of exclamatory sentences.

• Sentences with joy, sorrow, regret, applause and contempt
• Sentences with surprise

Sentences with Joy and Sorrow

Replacement of 'Said' in sentences with joy, sorrow etc

Wow!	exclaimed with joy
Well Done!	exclaimed with applause
Sorry!	exclaimed with regret
Pooh!	exclaimed with contempt
Nonesense!	exclaimed with contempt
Hurrah!	exclaimed with joy
Alas!	exclaimed with sorrow
Ah!	exclaimed with sorrow/grief

Model Sentences

Direct Speech	Indirect Speech
1. The players said."Hurrah!We have won the match."	The players exclaimed with joy or exclaimed joyfully that they had won the match.  (Joy)
2.The machinic said to me,"Sorry!I have broken your mirror."	The machinic exclaimed with regret to me that he had broken my mirror.  (Regret)
3. The teacher said to participants, "Bravo!You have won competition."	The teacher applauded participants saying that they had won competition.
4. Master said to the slave,"Pooh!You have spoiled the decoration of my house ."	Master exclaimed with contempt to the slave that he had spoiled the decoration of his house.    (Contempt)
5. He said,"Hurrah!I have won the tournament."	He exclaimed with joy that he had won the tournament.
6. Coach said to player,"Well Done!You have saved an almost lost match."	Coach exclaimed with applause to player that he had saved an almost lost match.    (Applause)

Rules of Conversion:-  To convert these sentences into indirect narration following instructions must be observed.

• Change said into exclaimed with joy or exclaimed joyfully, sorrow, regret, contempt or applause according to the sense of sentence.
• Replace inverted commas with conjunction that.
• Change pronouns of reported speech according to rules stated in change of pronouns lesson.
• Change tenses of reported speech according to rules stated in change of tenses lesson.
• Remove Hurrah, Alas, pooh etc from reported speech.

Exercise No.10

Change the voice.

• They said,"Hurrah!We have won the match."
• She said in Murree,"Hurrah!The weather is very pleasant."
• The spectator said,"Hurrah!Our team has scored a classical goal."
• She said,"Alas!I lost my mobile."
• Ali said,"Oh!Aayan has come from London."
• The principal said to him,"Pooh!You have failed again in the examination."
• Neha said,"Alas!I have lost my necklace."
• He said,"Good God!The fellow has come to life again."
• She said to her servant,"Alas!You have broken my window pane."
• The coach said,"Well done!boys."
• "Alas!The patient breathed his last."said the nurse.
• The young lady said,"Alas!My husband is no more."
• He said,Hurrah!My friend has come."
• The boy said,"Ah!I have received low grades in one subject."
• She said,"Alas!I am undone."

Sentences with Surprise or Wonder

Difference between Exclamatory Sentences with surprise and Interrogative Sentences

Exclamatory sentences with wonder and some interrogative sentences start with What and How and students consider exclamatory sentences with wonder as interrogative sentences. So they apply conversion rules of interrogative sentences to exclamatory sentences and their learning does not work for them.

How to recognise difference:-   Both of these kinds of sentences start with 'how' 'what' but main verb or helping verb is always placed at the end of the sentence in exclamatory sentences with wonder and in interrogative sentences helping verb is placed just after question word.

• What a tall tree it is!     (Wonder)
• What is your name?     (Interrogative)
• How beautiful scene it is!     (Wonder)
• How are you?     (Interrogative)

So recognise the sentences and apply rules of conversion accordingly. Rules of conversion for exclamatory sentences with wonder are given below.

Replacement of 'Said' in sentences with surprise

What!	exclaimed with surprise
Oh!	exclaimed with surprise
How!	exclaimed with surprise
Good God!	exclaimed with surprise

Model Sentences

Direct Speech	Indirect Speech
1. Teacher said to student,"What an idea you have presented!"	Teacher exclaimed with wonder to student that he had presented a great idea.  (Surprise)
2.She said,"What a pretty this child was!"	She exclaimed with surprise that that child had been very pretty.
3. He said to his friend,"What a classical and precise sentence he has written!"	He exclaimed with surprise to his friend that he had written a very classical and precise sentence.
4. I said to him,"What a beautiful advice you have shared!"	I exclaimed with surprise to him that he had shared a very beautiful advice.
5. He said to me,"What a hot and strong tea I have had!"	He exclaimed with surprise to me that he had had a very hot and strong tea.
6. Coach said to player,"How difficult this catch was!"	Coach exclaimed with surprise to player that that catch had been very difficult.

Rules of Conversion:-  To convert these sentences into indirect narration following instructions must be observed.

• Change said into exclaimed with surprise or wonder.
• Replace inverted commas with that.
• Change pronouns of reported speech according to rules stated in change of pronouns lesson.
• Change tenses of reported speech according to rules stated in change of tenses lesson.
• Remove what, how etc from reported speech.
• Change reported speech in positive sense.
• Add very or great in reported speech.
• If there is no subject in reported speech we suppose it as a subject.    (sentence no.3)

Advance Exercise No.11

Change the voice.

• She said,"What a happy ending!"
• He said to me,"How marvelous painting it is!"
• He said,"What a lovely fish is it!"
• They said to him,"How strange person you are!"
• The boy said,"How well does he listen!"
• I said to my brother,"What a tasty meal you have bought!"
• He said to us,"What a goal!"
• I said to him,"How intelligent you are!"
• Our master said,"What a fine picture you have bought!"
• She said,"What a lovely bouquet it was!"
• I said to my friend,"How fast you ran!"
• My sister said,"What an adorable girl she is!"
• His younger brother said to him,"What a long black car you have!"
• They said to me,"How beautifully she sings!"
• My father said,"What an exciting football match it is!"