Exclamatory sentences

 An exclamatory sentence is used express a sudden emotion. It could be fear, anger, anxiety, admiration, excitement etc.

Here are some tips for constructing exclamatory sentences.

Use what a before a singular noun.

·         What a surprise!

Before an abstract noun or a plural noun, use what without a.

·         What awful weather!

Use how before a modifying adjective, an adverb or a verb.

Exercise

Use as many sentences as you can with the words given in the columns of the table given below.

What a	foolish guy nice silly as pleasant goose rude	I man! she evening! surprise! You		is! am! is! are!
What	treachery! child-like innocence! awful weather! lovely flowers!
How	Clever noble ridiculous!	of of	you! him to do that!

Examples are given below

·         What a nice evening!

·         What a pleasant surprise!

·         What treachery!

·         What awful weather!

·         How noble of him to do that!

·         How clever of you!

Note that it is possible to rewrite many of these sentences using a structure with it.

·         It was very noble of him to do that.

·         It was very clever of him.

More examples are given below.

·         How kind of him to help the poor man!

·         It was kind of him to help the poor man!

·         How thoughtless of him not to have locked the car!

·         It was thoughtless of him not to have locked the car.

 The Different Types of Pronouns

The term pronoun covers many words, some of which do not fall easily under the description given in the section What are Pronouns? There are many different kinds of pronouns. In general, these do not cause difficulties for native English speakers. The list below is mainly for reference purposes.

Demonstrative Pronouns

These pronouns are used to demonstrate (or indicate). This, that, these and those are all demonstrative pronouns.

Examples:

·         This is the one I left in the car.

(In this example, the speaker could be indicating to a mobile phone, in which case, the pronoun this replaces the wordsmobile phone.)

·         Shall I take those?

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Indefinite Pronouns

Unlike demonstrative pronouns, which point out specific items, indefinite pronouns are used for non-specific things. This is the largest group of pronouns. All, some, any, several, anyone, nobody, each, both, few, either, none, one and no one are the most common.

Example:

·         Somebody must have seen the driver leave.

(somebody – not a specific person)

·         We are all in the gutter, but some of us are looking at the stars. (Oscar Wilde)

·         I have nothing to declare except my genius. (Oscar Wilde)

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Interrogative Pronouns

These pronouns are used in questions. Although they are classified as pronouns, it is not easy to see how they replace nouns. Who, which, what, where and how are all interrogative pronouns.

Example:

·         Who told you to do that?

·         Which dog won the race?

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Personal Pronouns

The personal pronouns are I, you, he, she, it, we, they, and who. More often than not (but not exclusively), they replace nouns representing people. When most people think of pronouns, it is the personal pronouns that usually spring to mind.

Example:

·         We can't all be heroes because somebody has to sit on the curb and clap as they go by.

·         I bought some batteries, but they weren't included.

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Possessive Pronouns

Possessive pronouns are used to show possession. As they are used as adjectives, they are also known as possessive adjectives. My, your, his, her, its, our and their are all possessive pronouns.

·         Have you seen her book?

(In this example, the pronoun her replaces a word like Sarah's.)

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Relative Pronouns

Relative pronouns are used to add more information to a sentence. Which, that, who (including whom and whose) andwhere are all relative pronouns.

Examples:

·         Dr Adam Sissons, who lectured at Cambridge for more than 12 years, should have known the difference.

(In this example, the relative pronoun who introduces the clause who studied at Cambridge for 12 years and refers back to Dr Adams Sissons.)

·         The man who first saw the comet reported it as a UFO.

(In this example, the relative pronoun who introduces the clause who first saw the comet and refers back to the man.)

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Absolute Possessive Pronouns

These pronouns also show possession. Unlike possessive pronouns (see above), which are adjectives to nouns, these pronouns sit by themselves. Mine, yours, his, hers, ours and theirs are all absolute possessive pronouns.

Examples:

·         The tickets are as good as ours.

·         Shall we take yours or theirs?

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Reciprocal Pronouns

Reciprocal pronouns are used for actions or feelings that are reciprocated. The two most common reciprocal pronouns areeach other and one another.

Examples:

·         They like one another.

·         They talk to each other like they're babies.

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Reflexive Pronouns

A reflexive pronoun ends ...self or ...selves and refers to another noun or pronoun in the sentence (usually the subject of the sentence). The reflexive pronouns aremyself, yourself, herself, himself, itself, ourselves, yourselves and themselves.

Examples:

·         The dog bit itself.

(In this example, the intensive pronoun itself refers back to the noun the dog.)

·         Are you talking to yourself?

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Intensive (or Emphatic) Pronouns

An intensive pronoun (sometimes called an emphatic pronoun) refers back to another noun or pronoun in the sentence to emphasize it (e.g., to emphasize that it is the thing carrying out the action). 

Examples:

·         John bakes all the bread himself.

(In this example, the intensive pronoun himself refers back to the noun John.)

·         The cat opened the door itself.