Why exclamation marks are bad

Real bad. It's not too late to start down the path of "seven exclamation marks. No one is a lost cause. As rapper turned method-actor Clifford "T.

I'm tired of fighting this battle alone and, above all else, I care. Upon receipt of this rant we wrote back to Browne using no fewer than 7 exclamation points and a deep awareness of the fact that we are part of the problem and not the solution. We will do better. We will try. Even if it kills us. Who will get the remaining marks? Maybe paying off school loans gets two? Who knows, I've got like more years and only 5 more. You have plenty of real things to worry about, so relieve yourself of this needless anxiety.

From the very beginning, use exclamations sparingly. What's noticeable is the change in the rate of use. So if you don't use a lot of exclamations from the start, you've set a solid precedent. No one will wonder about your change in emotions if you always sound about the same. If you're already a serial abuser of the exclamation point, quit cold turkey. There may be a brief time of awkwardness, but people will quickly adjust.

You should be doing this anyway, but it bears repeating: always use proper grammar in work emails. It's more professional, and it demonstrates respect for other people's time. Proper grammar also improves clarity, so everyone gets the message exactly as you intended. Using proper grammar will make your sparse use of exclamation points seem right in line with your normal tone.

If you need to stop using so many exclamation points, don't compensate by substituting a smiley face or other emoji. You're only creating the same expectation via another mechanism. Resist the urge to "soften" your period with a winky face. Just say what you mean and be done with it. In most cases, email isn't the only form of communication between business associates.

Take those phone and in-person opportunities to express gratitude for their work. This is especially effective if you do it in front of other people. It will reassure them that a flat email affect doesn't translate to anger. When a school starts to make the transition to a classical model, parents and teachers often want to know what new instructional practices to expect. Many things could Read more…. Do you use too many exclamation marks?

Stop it!!! Published by Martin Cothran on August 15, August 15, John Keilman at the Chicago Tribune writes : This grammatical sea change has been a rough transition for a lot of us old timers, given that our teachers trained us to regard exclamation points as the Donald Trump of punctuation: loud, overbearing and best endured in small doses. But oh, how times have changed!!!

Really, what is wrong with too many exclamation marks anyway? Categories: Exordium. Tags: grammar punctuation.