Business Writing

Lesson 2: Grammar and Punctuation

Exclamation Marks and Question Marks

Exclamation marks are a tool for adding emphasis to a sentence or indicating surprise, as in "Look at our amazing offers!" However, they have little place in formal writing. Whilst you may find them useful in advertising, you should try to avoid using them in your other business communications. Using excessive exclamation marks is like laughing at your own jokes. It demands enthusiasm which the reader may not share. In no circumstances should you end a sentence with more than one exclamation mark.

Late nineteenth and early twentieth century English literature often makes use of exclamation marks and question marks which appear mid-sentence. Whilst you may encounter this in your personal reading, it is not appropriate for use in modern business communications.

It might seem obvious to state that question marks should be used only when you are asking a question, but the fact is that many people use them incorrectly. When we speak, we tend to raise the pitch of our voices slightly at the end of a question. There are certain other situations in which we also raise our pitch, and people habitually attach question marks to sentences of this type when they write them down. Examples are:-

"Surely you don't believe him."

"Perhaps you'd like a cup of tea."

"I wonder if they've finished yet."

If you begin a sentence by raising a question, make sure to remember the question mark at the end, even if other, non-questioning clauses intervene. For example:

"When do you want to meet, if you've got to be in the office all morning and I already have appointments in the afternoon?"

We'll look at how using questions can help your business writing in lesson six, when we discuss tone.

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