Explanation

Exclamatory sentences express strong emotions such as amazement, admiration, annoyance, or frustration. In English, we often use What or How at the beginning of such sentences.

1. Exclamations with What

• What a(n) + adjective + singular countable noun!

  • What a beautiful day!

  • What an interesting book!

• What + adjective + plural noun / uncountable noun!

  • What delicious cakes!

  • What terrible weather!

2. Exclamations with How

• How + adjective/adverb!

  • How exciting!

  • How quickly she runs!

• How + adjective + of + pronoun/noun (to + verb)

  • How kind of her to help you!

  • How rude of him to shout like that!

Key Note:

• Use What for nouns.

• Use How for adjectives/adverbs, or to comment on someone’s behavior.

Exercise 1 – Sentence Transformation

Rewrite the sentences as exclamatory sentences.

1. The view is breathtaking.

2. He made a foolish mistake.

3. They are such amazing singers.

4. That was a terrible accident.

5. The soup tastes delicious.

Exercise 2 – Dialogue Completion

Complete the short dialogues with an appropriate exclamatory sentence using What or How.

A: I just adopted a kitten.
B: _____________________________

A: My boss gave me the day off tomorrow.
B: _____________________________

A: He insulted me in front of everyone.
B: _____________________________

A: Look at this ring I bought for only $10!
B: _____________________________

A: I lost all my files because of the virus.
B: _____________________________

Exercise 3 – Fill in the Blanks

Choose the correct option (What / How / What a).

1. ___ ridiculous idea this is!

2. ___ lucky we are to be here together!

3. ___ beautiful paintings she has in her house!

4. ___ awful of him not to call you back!

5. ___ fast he finished the exam!

Exercise 4 – Sentence Building

Your friend tells you something. Respond with an exclamatory sentence.

Example:
“My brother won first prize.” → What an achievement!

1. “I stayed up all night preparing for the test.”

2. “My neighbor helped me carry my groceries upstairs.”

3. “I lost my wallet on the train.”

4. “The baby slept for 12 hours straight.”

5. “I got accepted into my dream university.”

Exercise 5 – Creative Writing

Write five original exclamatory sentences, mixing What and How. Use at least:

• 1 with What a(n)…

• 1 with plural nouns

• 1 with How + adjective/adverb

• 1 with How + of + pronoun/noun

• 1 with an uncountable noun

Answer Key

Exercise 1

1. How breathtaking the view is!

2. What a foolish mistake he made!

3. What amazing singers they are!

4. What a terrible accident that was!

5. What delicious soup this is!

Exercise 2

1. What a cute kitten! / How adorable!

2. How generous of your boss!

3. How rude of him!

4. What a bargain! / How lucky you are!

5. What a disaster!

Exercise 3

1. What a ridiculous idea this is!

2. How lucky we are to be here together!

3. What beautiful paintings she has in her house!

4. How awful of him not to call you back!

5. How fast he finished the exam!

Exercise 4

1. How tiring! / What a long night!

2. How kind of your neighbor!

3. What a terrible loss!

4. How surprising! / What a good baby!

5. What fantastic news!

Exercise 5 – Sample Answers

1. What an incredible story that was!

2. What beautiful flowers!

3. How quickly she solved the problem!

4. How thoughtful of him to bring me coffee!

5. What awful weather!